 In Canada, just like in many other countries, COVID-19 cases are still rising. Yesterday, both British Columbia and Saskatchewan announced a record high of daily new cases. On Wednesday, Ontario reported their largest number of new COVID-19-related deaths in a single day since the beginning of the second wave. I can't stress this enough. This situation is serious. These are not just numbers. These are people's grandparents, parents, and loved ones. We all have our own reasons, our own loved ones that we want to look out for and protect. I just got news last night that my godfather and uncle Tom Walker had to be readmitted to hospital last night. He's been in and out of hospital over a while and I'm sending him my love. We're all thinking about our loved ones who we haven't been able to see for many months, who we're worried about. We all have our reasons to keep each other safe, to follow public health advice. We need to do that. It's particularly nice outside in many parts of the country this week, which means we're still enjoying lots of fresh air, but winter is coming and that means we're going to have to get into more enclosed spaces. We're not going to be able to open windows wide in rooms. Ventilation is going to become much more important. We need to remember to be careful. There is increasing evidence that aerosol spread is a vector of transmission. We need to wear masks. We need to avoid crowded closed spaces, as Dr. Tam has said many times. We need to make sure we're making it into winter on a good footing so we can hold on through winter. The vaccines hopefully will be here in the spring, but there's a lot of work to do between now and then to make sure that we're keeping Canadians safe and healthy. That's the work we need to continue to be determined to do. We need to continue to be there for each other. So continue to follow local public health guidelines. Wear a mask. Keep your distance and download the COVID-19 app. The COVID-19 cases continue to increase in Canada and around the world. I'm very clear about the situation and the seriousness of it. It's not the time to lower our guard. This week, we saw a number of new cases in several regions of the country. Yesterday, only Quebec recorded 1,138 additional cases. Think of your grandparents, your relatives, the workers of the first line and the most vulnerable. Together, we can help protect them by following local health guidelines. Continue to wear a mask. Keep your distance and download the COVID-19 app. It's beautiful outside these days in many parts of the country. We can continue to be outside. But in a few weeks, winter will come. We'll have to be inside, in less ventilated places. In places where we can't open the windows. And we'll have to be really careful. We have to do everything we can to prevent the COVID-19 infections to enter winter, in a better position than what we are now, to be able to go through winter, knowing that spring will be better, summer will be better. We hope so with vaccines. So, continue to be good, to be there for each other. We all have our reasons to follow the guidelines of public health authorities. We all have to continue to do our part. On our side, the government also continues its efforts. For example, last week alone, we sent 3.5 million money to the provinces and territories to support them in the fight against the virus. We also continue to distribute rapid vaccination tests. In the last three weeks, more than 2.8 million rapid tests have been distributed and several others will continue to follow. While our government is doing everything we can to keep Canadians safe, we're also working hard to keep Canadian jobs. This morning, we received the news that 84,000 jobs were added to the economy in October, mostly full-time positions. This means over 2.3 million Canadians have returned to work after they lost their jobs during the pandemic. We're making progress, but there's still much more work to be done. The technology and innovation sector is and will continue to be a key tool in creating good jobs and rebuilding a stronger, more competitive economy. In April, we created the Innovation Assistance Program with the National Research Council of Canada to support innovative businesses, including pre-revenue firms that were not eligible for the wage subsidy. This investment helped small and medium-sized Canadian businesses keep 24,000 employees on the payroll. To continue supporting these companies and the people they employ, I can announce that we are extending the Innovation Assistance Program with a new investment of $155 million. High-potential innovative firms are key drivers of economic growth, and we will be there to help them bridge to the other side of this crisis. Today, I'm announcing an investment of $155 million to extend the Innovation Assistance Program of the National Research Council of Canada. This program aims to support small and medium-sized businesses in the innovation sector, including companies with subsequent revenues that are not eligible for the wage subsidy. Following its creation in April, the Innovation Assistance Program has allowed us to keep 24,000 employees. The innovation industry has a key role to play in our development, in terms of a stronger and more competitive economy. Our government is there to help these companies and their workers go through this crisis. Minister Baines will elaborate more in a few moments, but first, I would like to talk about our efforts to encourage scientific research all over Canada. Science is our greatest asset to fight the virus. This is why our researchers must have access to the necessary resources to do their job well. Through the fund of the exceptional cases of COVID-19 at the Canadian Innovation Foundation, we will make an investment of almost $28 million that will support 69 research projects related to the pandemic. For a team of C.J.P. André-Lorando, for example, these funds will allow us to study public places using 3D technology to help improve social distancing measures. At the University of Calgary, other researchers will be able to use a new microscope to study the effects of COVID-19 on blood vessels. Selected teams will work in universities, C.J.P., research hospitals, colleges, and colleges across the country. These investments will help them get the necessary equipment to lead their research and advance science. As we head into the weekend, I want to end today by coming back to something I mentioned last Friday. Things are tough, and we all need to take care not just of loved ones, friends, and neighbors, but of ourselves, too. In many parts of the country, right now you might be asked to stay home and limit the number of people you see as much as possible. I know we all miss getting together with friends, colleagues, and extended family. It's not easy. So if you're feeling anxious, or if you're struggling with mental health or other challenges, pick up the phone and reach out to someone you can trust. You can also always call 2-1-1, a 24-hour helpline that will connect you to the right resources. It's free and confidential, and they can help you in more than 150 different languages. Merci, prenez soin de vous. Passez une bonne fin de semaine. Une bonne semaine de souvenirs.