Evidence of meeting #20 for COVID-19 Pandemic in the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.
A video is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
Mr. Chair, if the government orders someone who has been exposed to a confirmed COVID case into a 14-day quarantine, why won't the government allow them to take an antibody test to lift the quarantine so they can go back to work?
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
As the member opposite may or may not know, testing strategies are determined by provinces and territories. Furthermore, the testing of a particular person has to be done at the right point in time—
Conservative
Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
Mr. Chair, there have already been some tests that have been approved. My friend and colleague here, Colin Carrie, from the constituency of Oshawa, has a constituent who has a test. It's 90% accurate and it's being sold to the United States and other countries.
Why won't they provide a DIN number to it so that Canadians have access to it as well, regardless of which province or territory they live in?
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
Mr. Chair, I think the member is talking about two separate things. Any test kit that would be approved by Health Canada would be accessible to wherever that company chose to market that test kit.
Furthermore, it's really important that test kits that are approved by Health Canada be accurate and have been tested with rigour with regard to their ability to provide credible and accurate information to the people who are using that test.
Conservative
Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
Mr. Chair, the test has proven to have an accuracy rate of 90% in identifying whether or not an individual has antibodies.
Why won't she allow it to be used here?
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
Mr. Chair, I am happy to follow up with the member opposite's office when she is able to provide me with the name of the company.
As you can imagine, there are many vendors trying to—
Conservative
Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
How long will it take for an antibody test to be approved by this government once you have the name of the company and the test and the evidence in front of you?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Anthony Rota
Before we go to the honourable minister, I just want to remind the honourable members to place their questions through the chair and not directly.
Go ahead, Minister.
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
We have an expedited process that could be completed in as little as five to seven days, depending on the accuracy of the test and the information supplied by the vendor.
Conservative
Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
Through you, Mr. Chair, will Health Canada use reputable data from other countries to speed their determinations about antibody effectiveness, or just continue to withhold access?
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
Canadians expect us, at Health Canada, to ensure the accuracy and the safety of all equipment approved for use in Canada.
Conservative
Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
Mr. Chairman, if the minister can approve tests and studies within five days, why is it taking over 30, over 60, or over 90 days to approve an antibody test that exists?
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
I appreciate the member opposite's interest in urgent and quick approvals; however, sometimes, depending on the company, there may be further questions and further tests that need to be run to ensure the accuracy or safety of that equipment.
Should she wish me to check into the process for a particular—
Conservative
Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
Have officials provided the government with a target for a daily antibody test to complete an initial survey or the initial phase of a study?
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
Mr. Chair, I assume the member opposite is talking about the work of the immunity task force, which is, as you know, a group of scientists who have been funded by the Government of Canada—
Conservative
Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
Through you, Mr. Chair, would the minister please provide the names of the people on the task force to which she just referred?
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
Mr. Chair, I will forward those names to the office of the member opposite.
Conservative
Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
I hope that will be within the next two days or so, and not wait until after the crisis has passed, Mr. Chairman.
Why isn't the Prime Minister showing as much fervour for antibody testing as he is for getting a vaccine on the market?
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
Mr. Chair, I reject the premise of that question. In fact, the Prime Minister has shown fervour for all aspects of dealing with the coronavirus from the very inception of the virus on the world stage. To allege otherwise is quite disingenuous.