Trudeau tests positive for COVID-19, blasts Ottawa protests over mandates

In a virtual news conference set to address ongoing protests over COVID-19 mandates in Ottawa, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Monday he has tested positive for the virus. The announcement came as Prime Minister Trudeau was in isolation after one of his three children tested positive.

“The battle against COVID-19 is still dominating so many parts of our lives,” Trudeau said Monday. “This virus affects us all. Two of my own children have now contracted it. I feel well and have no symptoms. Of course, I’ll be working remotely this week and we’ll keep following public health guidelines.”

Organizers of some of the Ottawa protests said more were planned for Monday. The protests, which began as a truck envoy denouncing vaccine mandates for truck drivers crossing the U.S.-Canada border, have expanded to cover a variety of COVID-19 restrictions, as well as the Trudeau government in general.

On Sunday, several demonstrators said they intended to leave at the end of the day. However, others have said they plan on staying in Ottawa as long as it takes.

“I’m here for the long haul. I’m not going anywhere until we get something done here,” an unidentified truck driver told Canadian broadcaster CTV. The driver added he was “prepared to stay a month if I’ve got to stay a month.”

The protests have garnered some controversy. On Sunday, Ottawa Police said they were looking into potential criminal charges related to alleged actions taken during the protests. This includes people urinating on the National War Memorial and dancing on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Others carried signs and flags with swastikas on them.

“Freedom of expression, assembly and association are cornerstones of democracy,” Trudeau said. “But Nazi symbolism, racist imagery and desecration of war memorials are not. It is an insult to memory and truth. Over the past few days, Canadians were shocked and frankly disgusted by the behavior displayed by some people protesting in our nation’s capital.”