Since then, the country has clawed back just over four-fifths of those job losses, with growth for the last quarter of 2020 outpacing what the bank expected.
Dr. Supriya Sharma, the chief medical adviser at Health Canada who oversaw the review process, said it is "a critical milestone in our fight against COVID-19."
However, Dr. Bonnie Henry and Adrian Dix say the number of new cases and hospitalizations due to serious illness are still high, requiring health orders and restrictions to stay in place.
Barton is leading Canada's efforts in China to win the release of Kovrig and Spavor, who were arrested and imprisoned on Dec. 10, 2018, in what is widely seen as retaliation for Canada's arrest of Chinese high-tech executive Meng Wanzhou.