Trudeau’s health minister says gov’t will not help Canadians who get stuck abroad

"Like it or not, we must therefore adjust to this new reality," said Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos. "Once they have left Canada there is very little we can do to help them."

This is a stark contrast to government policy in the early days of the pandemic. In 2020, for instance, the Trudeau government budgeted $100 million to bring Canadians home if they were stuck abroad.

As the new COVID-19 variant spreads, the Trudeau government brought in a new travel advisory that told Canadians not to travel.

"We’re afraid and concerned with what could happen to Canadians who would choose to be abroad in the next few weeks," said the health minister.

"The situation abroad is already dire in many places and it’s going to get worse very quickly, so we are afraid for what could happen to them if they choose to travel," he added.

Recently, the health minister said that pandemic-related precautions may go on "months, possibly even years."

The health minister made these comments in response to a question about whether the Trudeau government will redefine "fully-vaccinated" for only those who have had a booster shot.

The health minister went on to say that he has placed extensive orders for coronavirus-related treatments. He has placed orders, for instance, with Merck and Pfizer for a million doses of oral antiviral treatments.

The cost of this has yet to be disclosed to the general public. The minister said this was "a very significant step in further enhancing the tools, what we can use over the next months, possibly even years, in order to protect both people and the health care system."