OTTAWA -- With Canada well into the second wave of COVID-19, the federal government is rolling out a new ad campaign featuring Canada’s top doctors. The 30-second spots, one in English and one in French, are reminding people of the basic health precautions to be taking.

“The COVID-19 pandemic in Canada is serious, we must continue to practice all public health measures,” says Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam. 

“Follow local guidelines for gatherings, maintain physical distancing, wash your hands, wear a mask, and download the COVID Alert app. If you have symptoms, even mild ones, stay home. Protect yourself and others, we've come too far to stop now,” she continues. 

In the French-language spot, Deputy Public Health Officer Dr. Howard Njoo offers the same advice. 

The advertisements launch this week on TV, radio, and across digital platforms and social media sites.

The government couldn’t say how much this campaign will cost, but a similar ad buy in the spring came to $30 million. 

On Tuesday, facing questions about whether his and other Canadian leaders’ messages around the need to take the current COVID-19 situation seriously were permeating, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that unlike the spring wave, the entire country isn’t in a situation where being told simply to “lock down” is the best advice.

“We have a better understanding of COVID-19 with better tools to deal with COVID-19 and we can be a little more targeted. But yeah, that means a little more complicated in our messages, that some things we can do in some places that no, you can't do in other places,” Trudeau said. 

“It's frustrating to have to go through this situation. Nobody wanted 2020 to be this way, but we do get to control how bad it gets by all of us doing our part… This sucks, it really, really does, but we’re going to get through it,” Trudeau said.