Five things Justin Trudeau could do to stop the spread of coronavirus

Historians will surely find rich content when they look back on 2020. The coronavirus pandemic has crippled much of the global infrastructure, and the consequences of this virus, and of how certain governments deal with it, will have effects that will ripple across this decade.

Already, countries across the globe are taking unprecedented steps to curb the disease in a hope that hospitals and other infrastructure will not be overwhelmed— as it has been in Italy and Iran. Others have restricted basic liberties, confining their populations to their homes, as normal life comes to a halt.

Canada, on the other hand, has not yet taken these steps. Despite this country now having 324 confirmed cases, simple policy has not yet been enacted. For those of you who do not know much about the actions of our countries, here are five quick policies that Justin Trudeau may want to take on board.

Britain provided a $30 billion battle plan to combat the disease, whereas Trudeau only provided $1 billion.

Trudeau, who usually can’t get enough of large publicly-funded spending projects, has given a remarkably small amount of government money to combat the disease. Spending, it seems, is necessary in these dark times and other the governments of allies agree: the United States has spent $50 billion on emergency funding, and Britain has spent $30 billion. Justin Trudeau's Canada, on the other hand, has only spent $1 billion

A large sum of money is desperately needed to reinvigorate Canada’s economy after the virus is defeated. Without this, Canada could be looking at an insipid fiscal recovery. As well as this, hospitals need equipment, the population needs to be informed, and small businesses need to be supported. All of this is unlikely if Trudeau is unwilling to fork out more than his measly $1 billion.

Airports across the United States are meticulously screening travellers who arrive from high-risk countries, Canada is not.

President Trump has made it a priority for the United States to create robust screening practices that will defend the population from those who carry the coronavirus. All major US airports have created a screening procedure where foreign arrivals fill out a short questionnaire about their travel and any symptoms they might have. They are also forced to have their temperature checked and guards actively look for passengers who may be displaying symptoms.  

Remarkably, this has not happened in Canada. Passengers have routinely complained about the screening measures in Canadian airports, saying that they are essentially non-existent. As well as this, provincial governments are now sending their own officials to tell passengers to self-isolate out of concern that the federal officials simply weren't doing this.

Justin Trudeau has not looked to shut down Canada’s borders

Many countries now, across the globe, have banned foreign nationals from entering the country. Whether it be Cyprus, Armenia, or Italy—their governments have concluded that the risk is simply too high. They are not alone. 6 other European countries have completely shut their borders, with others partially restricting travel. The United States, for instance, has also closed their border to China and Europe, saying that the health of Americans is the administration's top priority.

None of this has happened in Canada and the border remains open to nearly everyone.

As European countries lock down their countries to combat the disease, Canada has taken no similar action.

Belgium, Spain, and Italy have all now taken action to lock down their countries. This includes closing night clubs, soccer stadiums and restaurants until this virus is resolved.  They have also stopped children coming to school, opting to get them to learn from home instead.

It is true to say that Canada is not as badly affected as these countries have been, but this time will surely come. Canadians will need to go into this state of lockdown to limit the speed of coronavirus spreading. Without these policies, our hospitals may be overrun. Trudeau, however, has made no announcement on this issue.

Canada is hardly testing anyone, whereas countries like South Korea have tested nearly 140,000 people.

Testing is a crucial policy that can help limit the spread of the virus. It is particularly useful for those who have coronavirus yet do not display symptoms. Testing could save millions, made clear through the death rate of coronavirus in South Korea, a mere 0.6%.

Again, Justin Trudeau has hardly touched the topic of testing. This is especially concerning given the $1 billion coronavirus funding, which appears as faintly useless when large segments of the population will inevitably need to be tested.