 Bonjour à tous. Today at sundown marks the beginning of Ramadan. For many Muslim Canadians, the coming month will be different than normal, with iftar online and virtual Friday prayers. But that won't change what this special time is all about. Generosity, compassion, and service to others. Across the country, Muslim Canadians are on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19 as nurses, doctors, and essential workers. So thank you, and Ramadan mubarak. Today, the Canadian Muslims will underline the beginning of Ramadan. The coming month won't happen as usual. But the values of compassion and generosity that are at the heart of this tradition are more important than ever. All over the country, Muslim Canadians are on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19, doctors, nurses, and essential workers. Thank you, and Ramadan mubarak. This will be another difficult day for many families and communities across the country. We're all thinking about those in Nova Scotia who are grieving the loss of loved ones, friends, and neighbors. Yesterday, I spoke with the families of some of the people we lost. They shared stories about their loved ones and their dreams and plans. In the face of such tragedy, their strength is remarkable. I spoke also with RCMP members from the area and on behalf of all Canadians, I thank them for their service. I spoke with some local mayors as well to express my condolences. For Torontonians, I know it will be a hard day as well, as we remember the victims of the van attack on Yonge Street two years ago. Together we mourn, and together we heal. Because just as Canadians were there for each other two years ago, we're there for each other today. Across the country, people are hanging tartan, blue ribbons, and scarves from windows to honor those who died. With acts of kindness and donations, people are standing with families who are grieving. And tomorrow, with the virtual vigil, we will all have the chance to show the people of Nova Scotia that they are not alone. For the people of Nova Scotia, today will be another difficult day. Face to such tragedy, they are proof of an incredible strength. And the citizens of Toronto also lived a difficult day. Today, we remember the victims of the van attack on Yonge Street two years ago. Together, we live with these tears, and together, we will heal these wounds. These are tough times, but there is reason to hope. When it comes to COVID-19, what we're doing is working. And to continue on the right track, we need to be thinking not just about the next weeks, but about the next months. We need medium term and long term solutions. On that front, I can announce today that we're taking another step forward. We're putting in place an additional 1.1 billion dollars for a national medical and research strategy to address COVID-19. This plan has three pillars, research on vaccines and other treatments, supports for clinical trials, and expanding national testing and modelling. Let me start with the first pillar on research. Under this plan, we're investing close to 115 million dollars for research into vaccines and treatments being developed in hospitals and universities across the country. This is on top of the funding we've already provided to support vaccine development in Canada. The second pillar of the plan is to make sure that once we have potential vaccines and treatments, we can test a wide range of options. Under this plan, we will invest over 662 million dollars for clinical trials led by Canada. A vaccine is the long term solution to this virus, but these drugs will take months to develop, test, fabricate, and roll out. So until we have something ready, we need to control the spread of the virus. And that's where the third pillar of this plan comes in. We're investing 350 million dollars to expand national testing and modelling of COVID-19. This includes creating the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force. The task force will operate under the direction of a leadership group, which will include Dr. David Naylor, Dr. Catherine Hankins, Dr. Tim Evans, Dr. Theresa Tam, and Dr. Mona Niener. We are bringing together top health experts and scientists from leaning institutions across the country. Canada's best and brightest will be working on serology testing, blood testing, to track and understand immunity to COVID-19. They'll be looking at key questions like how many people beyond those we've already tested have had COVID-19, whether you're immune once you've had it, and if so, how long that lasts. Over two years, we will be testing at least a million Canadians as a part of this study. The findings of the research will help with everything from rollouts of a potential vaccine to determining which public health measures are most effective going forward. We will get valuable data, including disaggregated data, to understand the impact on vulnerable populations. And we will also leverage new and existing lab capacity for research. The better we understand this virus, its spread and its impact on different people, the better we can fight it and eventually defeat it. While this vital research is happening, we're also staying focused on what we can do right now to control COVID-19 and get back to normal as soon as possible. Testing is key. We've now reached 20,000 tests daily, almost double where we were earlier this month. But testing must increase even further before we can reopen and restart our normal activities as a country. You've been doing your part by staying home and practicing physical distancing. It's working, and we can't afford to waste this progress. Today, I am announcing how to set up a medical and research strategy of a value of $1.1 billion to fight COVID-19. The first bullet in this strategy is on vaccines and treatments. We invested nearly $115 million in research on vaccines in hospitals and universities across the country. This is something that we've already learned to develop vaccines here in Canada. The second bullet in our strategy is to ensure that when we have vaccines and potential we can test as many options as possible. We're going to invest nearly $662 million in clinical tests. And the third bullet is to invest in tests to model the disease. We're putting on foot the working group on immunity against COVID-19. This working group will be led by Dr. David Naylor, Dr. Catherine Hankins, Dr. Tim Evans with the support of Dr. Tam and Dr. Neymar. They will coordinate blood tests that will help us to retrace the virus and better understand how we can immunize against COVID-19. The research conclusions will help us do several things, whether it's making an accessible vaccine or determining which public health measures are the most effective and must be adopted. While we're doing this vital research, we continue to think about what we can do at the moment to contain COVID-19 and come back to a normal life as soon as possible. The tests are what's most important. We've made about 20,000 tests a day at the level of the country, but we must continue to increase our capacity to test before life takes its course. Right now, we're seeing terrible tragedies in long-term care facilities across the country. This is unacceptable. If you're angry, frustrated, scared, you're right to feel this way. We can do better. We need to do better. Because we are failing our parents, our grandparents, our elders, the greatest generation who built this country. We need to care for them properly. Canadians need to pull together. There have been requests for military assistance by both Ontario and Quebec, which of course we will be answering. Our women and men in uniform will step up with the valor and courage they have always shown. In the short term, we will be there with support so that provinces can get control of this situation. But this is not a long-term solution. In Canada, we shouldn't have soldiers taking care of seniors. Going forward, in the weeks and months to come, we will all have to ask tough questions about how it came to this. We will all have to do more to get through this terrible situation. Right now, we're seeing tragic and unbearable tragedies in the CHSLD across the country. This is unacceptable. If you're angry, frustrated, or worried, you're right to feel this way. We must do better because we're letting our parents, our grandparents, our elders, the members of the greatest generation who built this country. We need to take care of them as they deserve it. Quebec and Ontario have asked for the help of the army. These demands are the demands we will accept. I am very happy to say that. The army is going to pay a hard price as they always do, but it is not a long-term solution. In Canada, it is not our soldiers who should take care of our seniors. During the next few weeks and the next few months, we will have to examine how we have reached this. We will all have to do more to get through this terrible situation. We are all part of the same team. While we are doing our part, I know that everyone will do their part. It is together that we will come out, it is together that we will come back in force. Thank you.