Words to remember: Canadian newsmakers have their say on COVID-19

A look at some of the top quotes from across Canada on Wednesday in relation to COVID-19:

“Do not spread the virus, just spread love.”

— Raymond Liu, who is part of a group that set up the tables on streets in Vancouver and nearby Richmond to give away essential items to those in need.

“They’re scared about their futures. Things aren’t looking good, and they don’t want to lose their homes. And in a small number of months, there will be no plan. I’m looking out from my hotel room, and I’m seeing, one, two, three … 13 planes parked.”

— Barret Armann, a pilot and president of Unifor Local 7378 representing 470 pilots at Sunwing Airlines who are slated to be laid off on April 8.

“The amount of guilt that a physician would feel in the event that they brought home an exposure and someone in their family got sick — particularly someone elderly — it would be terrible. This is what every doctor in this province is currently grappling with: the balance between providing care for their patients and making sure that their family is safe.”

— Jory Simpson, chief of general surgery at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto.

“There is nothing regular about what we are facing.”

— Finance Minister Bill Morneau.

“It reminds me of a “Mission: Impossible” movie, where tick, tick, tick, the time is ticking down and someone has to try to save the day before everything explodes. This is how a lot of tenants and landlords feel about this April 1 rent deadline coming up.”

— William Blake, a landlord speaking on behalf of the Ontario Landlords Association.

“The stress is off the charts right now. We need to give people security.”

— Spencer Chandra Herbert, a New Democrat member of the B.C. legislature, as the province announced help for tenants and landlords to help pay rents.

“Canadians are great and people have been making real personal sacrifices. At the same time, all of us are going to be and feel safer with mandatory quarantines for anyone entering Canada.”

— Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland.

“Every action we take will bring us closer to victory. Our children and grandchildren will remember how we won this battle, so let’s make them proud.”

— Quebec Premier Francois Legault.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 25, 2020.

The Canadian Press