BREAKING: Trudeau says Canadians may not be able to gather during holidays due to COVID

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressed media on Friday, providing updates to the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The prime minister also provided some insight to whether or not Canadians would be able to celebrate a normal Christmas.

"I think a lot of Canadians are looking at the holidays hopeful that that will be a moment that we can gather again and see loved ones that we haven't seen in a long time," said Trudeau. "Whether or not we're able to do that falls on all of us doing what we what we need to do."

Trudeau said that the federal government was focused on continuing its support by providing extra resources to provinces when in need, especially those who were facing larger second waves than others.

"Provinces need to make the right decisions around bringing in rules that will limit close contacts, limit the spread of COVID-19 in places that are appropriate for them."

Trudeau said that positive signs of flattening the curb are not reason to stop following health guidelines: "When we see cases flattening a little bit, it's not a reason to say 'okay, great. we don't have to stay tight anymore.' It means, what we're doing is working. People in Atlantic Canada, where they continue to have that bubble, are making sacrifices every single day in their daily lives, even though there are incredibly low number of cases there, compared to the rest of the country."

Today, Newfoundland and Labrador's top doctor, Janice Fitzgerald, said that the Atlantic Bubble would not be reopening for the holidays. The province currently has 7 active cases of COVID-19.

"Reducing your contacts, reducing your gatherings, are going to be most important. And what we do in the coming days and weeks will determine what we get to do at Christmas," the prime minister concluded.