Trudeau Says 'All Of Us Want To Be Done' With Restrictions But There Needs To Be Balance

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that "all of us want to be done" with restrictions in Canada but there needs to be a balance between getting back to normal and keeping people safe.

While restrictions have eased, some provinces still have mask mandates in place and the federal government also requires masks in Canadian airports and while travelling on planes and trains.

During a press conference on April 28, the prime minister was asked if lifting the mask mandate in public spaces in the middle of May seems like a good idea or if it's still too early.

"I think we're all beginning to see that the situation is evolving. Even with a lot of good news, for instance with the loosening of public health measures, we're beginning to witness a wave of Omicron BA.2," Trudeau said in French.

He also noted the impact of the variant "is less serious in most cases" especially when people are vaccinated.

"But we know that because of the variant's increased risk of transmission, we remain in a delicate situation in which the people and our health care system are at risk," Trudeau said.

The prime minister mentioned that there needs to be a "proper balance" between the fact that COVID-19 "isn't done causing problems" and "the fact that all of us want to be done with restrictions."

"We're always striving for this balance because yes, people are tired, but also, we still need to be careful," Trudeau said.

He also pointed out that the federal government is "constantly" listening to scientists, looking at what's happening in other places and thinking about how to allow people to do what they love while trying to keep everyone "healthy and safe."

"That's what is informing our decisions every step of the way," Trudeau said.

In March, Dr. Theresa Tam said that the federal government is "looking at a phased approach of removing" some of the policies that are in place currently.

That includes the vaccination requirement for federal workplaces along with mandatory masking and vaccination for travel.