Trudeau threatens lockdowns unless every single Canadian vaccinated

Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau got emotional while talking about the COVID-19 vaccine last week. 

Speaking with ET Canada's Sangita Patel, Trudeau spent the majority of the interview pushing incessantly for more vaccinations. At one point, the prime minister burst into rapture while describing his experience getting vaccinated. 

“Getting that shot really was an amazing feeling,” Trudeau said excitedly. “It-it-it hits you.” 

The prime minister then went on to make contradictory statements regarding Canada’s vaccination campaign.  

“’Cause we don’t get through this unless the vast majority of the population gets that first shot and then a few months later gets that second shot. That’s how we get through it.” 

He then quantified how many Canadians need to be vaccinated. 

“Well we’ve now vaccinated millions upon millions of Canadians and we need to power through to get to above 75% vaccination.” 

By the time of the interview, over 81% of Canadians had already been fully vaccinated. The country’s COVID-19 infections are rising, with 2,581 new cases on Sunday. 

Then Trudeau appeared to backtrack and decide that every single Canadian must get the shot. 

“If we’re going to do that, everyone, even the ones that are hesitant, need to get that,” he said, before going on to say that there would be lockdowns unless every Canadian gets vaccinated. 

Canadians would prefer not to “continue to face lockdowns into the fall,” said Trudeau, “and the way we avoid that is that everyone, of all ages, of all backgrounds, to just get that shot so we can get through this.” 

“But of course we’re not forcing people to [get vaccinated], we’re just encouraging them to do it because we don’t get through this if they don’t do it.” 

Canada’s campaign against the unvaccinated has been one of the harshest in the world, with those who have not gotten the shot being forbidden from entering planes, trains, restaurants, cinemas. Federal employees were required to be vaccinated or fired. 

While the vaccine mandates have relaxed in some provinces, Canadians 12-years-old and up who have not been vaccinated are still forbidden from traveling on federal transportation within Canada.