PM Trudeau on reopening economy: 'It's not happening yet'

[Maddox]

OTTAWA -- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has a message for anyone clamoring for the economy to be reopened: "it's not happening yet."

The prime minister made the comment during his Wednesday press conference on the front steps of Rideau Cottage. He explained that the government has to be "extremely careful" with any steps it takes towards letting Canadians go back to their offices and allowing non-essential businesses to reopen.

"It seems like over the past days, people have are talking about 'oh, we'll re-open this. We'll do this. We'll reopen that.' It's not happening yet. If we reopen too soon, everything we’re doing now might be for nothing," Trudeau warned, referring to the physical distancing measures now in place.

For the time being, the prime minister said Canadians need to "hold on, still."

"And then, once we're ready, once we feel we’re through, once the experts are telling us that we can talk about reopening the economy a little bit, we will take very careful steps in doing that," Trudeau said.

He added that it'll be some time before we get there.

"In order to get to that point, we need to continue doing what we are doing now for many more weeks," Trudeau said.

PM Trudeau on reopening economy: 'It's not happening yet'

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has a message for anyone clamoring for the economy to be reopened: "it's not happening yet."

www.ctvnews.ca