The largest municipality in Atlantic Canada is urging its residents to stay home and stay safe during the upcoming long weekend as Canada continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We simply must stay the course,” said Mayor Mike Savage of the Halifax Regional Municipality on Wednesday at a municipal coronavirus update.

He said that many — including himself — would like to celebrate the holidays of Easter or Passover with their family and friends but cannot as a result of physical-distancing measures.

“This weekend will be different because it must be… But we can find new ways to celebrate our faith,” said Savage.

He pleaded with the municipality’s more than 430,000 residents to respect the state of emergency declared by the province of Nova Scotia and its chief medical officer of health, Dr. Robert Strang, on March 22.