Health Committee on Feb. 3rd, 2020

[Denis Vinette]

I can't speak with absolute authority, but I know that our screening officers, under the Quarantine Act, can refer someone to a quarantine officer under PHAC. The individuals must wait until they've been dealt with by that quarantine officer, and only at that time can they depart the CBSA hall. I would have to come back in order to be authoritative on your question.

[Mike Kelloway, Liberal, Cape Breton—Canso, NS]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

You have two more minutes. Are you done?

[Mike Kelloway, Liberal, Cape Breton—Canso, NS]

I'm so efficient with my questions.

[Voices]

Oh, oh!

[Mike Kelloway, Liberal, Cape Breton—Canso, NS]

I have many more.

To stay on the wavelength of the health screenings, how effective are entry and exit health screenings in detecting this virus, percentage-wise? Again, I know this may be subjective or objective, but how effective are they truly in detecting an abnormality or this virus in particular?

[Paul MacKinnon]

My sense, Mr. Chair, similar to the earlier response I gave, is that from our perspective and the perspective of the border, once we determine somebody is ill, either because they tell us or because we see it, and we pass them off to the public health quarantine officer, at that point we get kind of outside of our lane of expertise in terms of how effective the screening is from that perspective. I will leave it to our health professionals to give you a proper answer.

[Mike Kelloway, Liberal, Cape Breton—Canso, NS]

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

We'll go now to Mrs. Jansen.

Go ahead for five minutes, please.

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

I have a quick question. A fellow named Henry called me this weekend. His wife is in Hubei. He was trying to make sure his wife was on the list and he was having a hard time getting through. Ms. Jeffrey was saying that there is excellent communication. He finally did manage to speak to someone, and when he went to confirm that the visa number they had been provided was correct, it was wrong by one number. I guess the concern is whether there is an exhaustive list that can be doubled-checked. His suggestion was that perhaps a personal email could be sent that would at least provide information confirmation, for them to double-check. Could you give me a quick answer?

[Heather Jeffrey]

I can definitely answer that. Our call centre is staffed, I would say, on a 365-days-per-year basis. We have operation officers, consular officers, responding to calls every day and every night. Now we have a call centre with over 50 additional people responding to emails and telephone inquiries. Each case in our crisis centre has identifiers, absolutely. Once someone makes contact, personal email addresses are put on those files, and we will be reaching out to people every night confirming the details of the flight and the manifest, etc. and double-checking.

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

It seems as though there are still quite a few who haven't been confirmed. I know you also mentioned the idea of ensuring calm. Mr. Tanguy said that was important, and this individual said that if they could get personal calls, that would help.

My next question is whether, when they get to the plane, they will receive haz-mat suits and so forth, as I assume the staff on that plane will receive.

[Heather Jeffrey]

We're following the advice of Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada in terms of the protocols and procedures on the aircraft. We will have protective equipment on board the plane for those who wish to use it, and everyone will receive information sheets about what they need.

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

Does that mean passengers will receive a suit? That's what they're concerned about, whether they will receive a suit.

[Heather Jeffrey]

I believe the guidance from the Public Health Agency of Canada is not to have a full suit but to have protective masks.

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

Okay.

I had a constituent call me. He's working at the airport and he was wondering about the way things were being funnelled through the airport. When all of these planes are arriving in China, how is everything being funnelled? I don't know if that's a long answer. Is everybody just being combined? What happens?

[Heather Jeffrey]

Do you mean on the ground in Hubei?

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

No, I mean in Vancouver or wherever.

[Paul MacKinnon]

I can give an answer, Mr. Chair. From our perspective, and I think I mentioned it in my opening comments, if we determine someone is ill, at the earliest opportunity we will have that individual wear a mask.

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

Is everyone being funnelled together, then? Is that what you're saying?

[Paul MacKinnon]

People are coming off the plane together. People are walking to the hall together, but from the first moment we determine that a person is potentially ill, we will give them a mask. After that, once they come to us, if we go to a screening area to ask more questions, they will be off in a different area, away from the rest of the public.

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

I have a question with regard to a lot of the returning students. I was just wondering whether there are any plans to suggest that students returning from China perhaps stay home for a bit to make sure we're not spreading it at school.

[Paul MacKinnon]

Do you mean students coming in on the evacuation flight, or just generally?

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

I mean generally.

[Paul MacKinnon]

Mr. Chair, from our perspective at the border, again we would not have a special process for students returning. We would follow that same procedure of asking whether they had come from Hubei and whether they were sick, or if we could see they were sick, and then we would follow the standard procedure that I explained earlier.