COVID-19 Pandemic Committee on June 8th, 2020

[Marcus Powlowski, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I know at the outset of this pandemic a big concern of our government was the possibility that we could in places run out of ventilators, as tragically occurred in northern Italy.

Now that hasn't happened and hopefully it won't happen, but the pandemic is far from being over and certainly a lot of people are predicting further waves to come. I don't think we are going to run out of ventilators because we've started to mass-produce them here in Canada. I want to give a big shout-out of congratulations to the Bombardier plant here in Thunder Bay, which as of last week started mass-producing portable ventilators. They're doing a fantastic job. Keep up the good work.

I also want to congratulate O-Two in Brampton, which is part of the same endeavour.

Another big concern of mine as a long-time emergency room doctor, and I know this is a shared concern of our government, is PPE. I want to ask a question specifically about N95 masks. Last week in The Lancet, there was a big meta-analysis, which pretty clearly seemed to indicate that for most health care workers, N95 masks are superior to surgical masks in preventing transmission of disease.

I know this is an area of primarily provincial jurisdiction, but can our relevant ministries please tell us what we are doing to ensure our health care workers will get those N95 masks?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Madam Chair, Canadian businesses of all sizes, right across the country, have truly stepped up to protect Canadians. Since the outset of the pandemic and the launch of Canada's plan to mobilize industry, domestic manufacturing has ramped up significantly with deliveries under way of gowns, masks, respirators and ventilators. We've been working collaboratively with the provinces and territories to ensure that we can fulfill all requests of PPE needed by our front-line health care workers. We've so far distributed over 2.7 million N95 masks and hundreds of ventilators, along with millions of units of other critically important supplies.

Our absolute priority is to make sure that our front-line health care workers have the supplies they need to protect themselves and their patients. We are buying to meet Canada's needs in the short and the long term, in order to be ready for any eventuality.

[The Acting Chair (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

Next is the honourable member for Cloverdale—Langley City.

[Tamara Jansen, Conservative, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

Madam Chair, four weeks ago, I received a message that my niece's wedding was no longer going ahead as planned this summer due to COVID-19.

Does Minister Hajdu believe that wedding celebrations continue to pose a serious health risk to the community—

[The Acting Chair (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

Just a moment, please.

We skipped Mr. Harris because he is having technical difficulties. That's why we went to Ms. Jansen. I'm sorry. I should have explained that before.

We are going to restart. You have the floor, Ms. Jansen.

[Tamara Jansen, Conservative, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

Shall I start over? Maybe that would be easier.

Four weeks ago I received a message that my niece's wedding was no longer going ahead as planned this summer due to COVID-19.

Does Minister Hajdu believe that wedding celebrations continue to pose a serious health risk to the community?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

Madam Chair, I would just like to remind the member that it is very important to follow the local public health advice. As we know, it is different across the country, depending on the epidemic in any particular region.

I have great faith and also a great respect for the hard-working local public health officers and public health nurses, and I want to thank them for being so thoughtful in the advice they are giving to the people in their own communities in terms of how to protect themselves.

[Tamara Jansen, Conservative, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

Recently I attended an outdoor Eid ceremony and the first outdoor call to prayer in Canada. Only a handful of people were given permission to attend due to COVID-19.

Does the minister believe that outdoor religious gatherings continue to pose a serious health risk to the community?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

Madam Chair, what is clear is that crowded situations where people are very close to each another, where they are in prolonged contact and have no ability to physically distance, do pose an elevated risk for COVID-19. That's why we reminded all people who took part in the many protests across the country this weekend to monitor themselves very closely for symptoms. I would remind all people who have attended any gathering to make sure that at the first sign of any symptom, they should contact their local public health—

[John Nater, Conservative, Perth—Wellington, ON]

I have a point of order, just to clarify that time will not be deducted from but added to Mrs. Jansen's time.

[The Acting Chair (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

We will give her that 10 seconds, yes.

Mrs. Jansen, the floor is yours.

[Tamara Jansen, Conservative, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

Three weeks ago, a local high school made plans to hold a drive-by graduation in a large parking lot, with arrangements for all attendees to remain in their cars. Unfortunately, the restrictions did not permit this due to COVID-19. Does the minister believe that drive-by graduations actually pose a serious health risk to the community?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

What the minister believes is that our local public health officers and health officials are working incredibly hard to make sure they protect the health of the Canadians they serve. I also believe it's important that we follow the local public health advice and that if we are in a gathering, we make sure that we monitor ourselves for symptoms and report to public health should we suspect that we are at all ill.

[Tamara Jansen, Conservative, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

Last week my niece gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. No visitors were allowed in the hospital due to COVID-19. Does the minister believe that visiting new mothers in the hospital continues to pose a serious health risk to the community?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

It appears that the member opposite is not understanding my response. My response is that we have incredibly hard-working public health officers and medical officers of health who are balancing the need for Canadians to continue their lives with some sense of normality, and the need to protect them from the risk of contracting COVID-19.

I stand with those public health officers as they make those incredibly difficult decisions every single day. I also thank Canadians for the sacrifices they're making to protect their neighbours, their friends and their loved ones.

[Tamara Jansen, Conservative, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

This summer, the annual Cloverdale Rodeo Parade in my riding has been cancelled due to COVID-19. Does the minister believe that outdoor parades continue to pose a serious health risk to the community?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

Madam Chair, the measures in place in communities—

[A Child's Voice]

Walker, we have no Mountain Dew.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Acting Chair (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

We have a little technical problem

Could everybody mute their microphones, please.

That will allow us to hear the minister's response.

[Tamara Jansen, Conservative, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

How much time do I have left?

[The Acting Chair (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

You have one minute and 22 seconds.

Is the minister back?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

We know that [Technical difficulty--Editor] be in place based on the biggest activities and risks in their communities. We know that people are heeding public health advice to protect their loved ones, and I want to thank all Canadians for continuing to do so.

[Tamara Jansen, Conservative, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

Dr. Tam recently stated that attending a protest with hundreds of masked and unmasked people walking through town is safe, as long as they don't yell too loudly. Does the minister concur with Dr. Tam that large crowds of protesters gathered in downtown streets do not pose a serious threat to the health of our community, as long as they don't yell too loudly?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

Madam Chair, I think it's inappropriate for the member opposite to put words in Dr. Tam's mouth. She did not say that attending a large gathering was safe. She said that when people were exercising their democratic right to protest racist conditions that exist across the world, there were in fact ways to do so more safely. She advised people not to yell loudly and to carry signs instead to reduce the risk of spreading droplets among one another.