Trudeau knocks Moe over provincial government's handling of COVID-19

Liberal leader Justin Trudeau took swipes at two western premiers over their handling of the delta-fuelled fourth wave of COVID-19 currently swallowing Alberta and Saskatchewan.

“Getting vaccinated is the way through this. I feel bad, really bad, for those people in Alberta and Saskatchewan who’ve stepped up to do the right thing,” said Trudeau at a campaign stop in Richmond, B.C. Tuesday morning

“And because of leadership that will not commit to keeping them safe in the right way, or even protecting the economy the right way, they’re facing greater risks because of cancelled surgeries. They’re facing emergency public health restrictions that may have to be brought in.”

Trudeau made the comments when he was asked if he had any advice for Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe and Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, whose provinces have the highest COVID-19 case rates and lowest vaccination rates among provinces.

The remarks come on the heels of a record-setting day in Saskatchewan. The province reported its highest single-day tally of new cases since the start of the pandemic on Monday with 449. Eighty-nine per cent of the new infections were in residents who aren’t not fully vaccinated.