Like you, we at the Conservative Party are
deeply concerned about the COVID-19 (“coronavirus”), outbreak and the effects
it may have on our families, our communities, and the nation as a whole.

Above
all else, we are committed to ensuring the health and well-being of all
Canadians.

And like so many Canadians, we are listening
closely to public health agencies and professionals as we chart our course
forward.

If you haven’t had the chance to read up on it
yet, these are some of the important suggestions, from Health Canada, that can
help reduce the spread of the coronavirus:

• Thoroughly wash your hands with
  soap and water for at least 30 seconds and do so frequently throughout the day.
• As much as possible, avoid
  touching your mouth, nose, and eyes.
• When coughing or sneezing: cover
  your mouth and nose with your arm or tissues to reduce the spread of germs.
• Immediately dispose of any tissues
  you have used into the garbage as soon as possible and wash your hands afterwards.
• Make healthy lifestyle choices to
  keep your immune system strong.
• Follow Health Canada guidelines,
  if you have been travelling.
• Stay home if you are sick.

As we look to the future, we are monitoring
the situation closely and considering how it may affect the 2020 Conservative
Leadership race. With our leadership event not scheduled for another three
months, we have no changes to announce at this time, but continue to discuss
options on how to best mitigate concerns, and keep all of our members safe.

In relation to our planned leadership debates
next month, we are actively exploring contingencies, up to and including
holding these debates without attendees. We will ensure that these debates are
accessible for all members by providing live streams of the event on Facebook,
Conservative.ca, and other platforms.

Although we have not reached any decisions
yet, we’ll be in touch in the event of any changes.

Additionally, the Secretariat Committee of
National Council has authorized the Executive Director to allow EDAs to delay
their Annual General Meetings up to July 31, 2020, out of concern for the
health and wellbeing of our members.

To be
clear, this motion does not delay or cancel all AGMs, but it does allow us to
work collaboratively with our Local EDA volunteers to make the call that is
right for their community.

We are committed to ensuring that no volunteer
is asked to or feels obliged to pursue activities that compromise their
personal safety, security, and health.

These are trying times for everyone and we encourage you to take care of yourselves, your loved ones and your community and we share our wishes for your good health.

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