Canadians mark Easter as COVID-19 continues to cause pain, grief for many

OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other leaders across the country are taking a rare day off from updating the nation on the COVID-19 crisis as Canadians celebrate Easter Sunday.

Yet even as people gather with their families both physically and virtually for the holiday, the pandemic continues to cause pain and grief for many Canadians whose health and livelihoods have been devastated by the illness.

Trudeau used his Easter address to encourage Canadians to stay strong and stay apart this day for the safety of everyone.

“Normally, we’d be going to church with our neighbours, searching for Easter eggs with the kids, or sharing a special meal with family and friends. I know that for many Canadians, it won’t be easy to celebrate Easter without being surrounded by our extended family, but we have to do it,” he said.

He added that now is a good time to think of health care workers and the sacrifices they are making to protect our health.

“Let’s put into practice what it truly means to love our neighbours as ourselves by making sacrifices to protect their health.”

This weekend the federal government is expected to release updated figures on the number of Canadians who have tested positive for COVID-19 as well as the number that have died from the respiratory illness.

In a written message marking Easter, which comes nearly one month after the country started locking down to slow the spread of COVID-19, Trudeau commemorated the personal sacrifice and compassion that many Canadians are exhibiting during the pandemic.

Easter Sunday arrived with desperately needed aid for Canadian businesses and workers after Parliament on Saturday, approved a $73-billion wage subsidy program aimed at helping them survive the economic ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new coronavirus has claimed the lives of at least 653 people in Canada, while the number of confirmed and presumptive cases on Saturday stood at 23,318.