Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Honourable Minister, as well as the panel, for being here today, and Minister, thank you for being here for two hours. I've been on this health committee for four and a half years, and to have a minister here for two hours is unprecedented. Kudos to you for being here for the whole time.
I have some questions on blood donation. Canada relies on voluntary blood donation for critical surgeries and life-saving transfusions, and many of the donors are seniors. In fact, 37% of Canada's active blood donors are seniors. What impact from COVID-19 do we foresee or are we experiencing now regarding blood donation rates?
As of today, our national blood inventory has only two days of O negative blood in supply, so it is a concern. How will the government ensure Canada has its needed blood supply?