Health Committee on March 31st, 2020

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

I call this meeting to order.

I'd like to welcome everybody to meeting number nine of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health.

Pursuant to the order of reference of Tuesday, March 24, the committee is meeting for a briefing on the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Today's meeting is taking place exclusively by teleconference and the audio feed of our proceedings is made available via the House of Commons website.

I'd like to note parenthetically that this is the first time ever a House of Commons committee has met virtually, and while the meeting today is purely audio, members of the House of Commons technical staff are working diligently to deliver a quality video conferencing solution, which hopefully will be available to us for our meeting next week.

I'd like to thank the technicians and all the people who are working so hard to make this happen on short notice.

In order to facilitate the work of our interpreters and to assure an orderly meeting, I would like to outline a few rules to follow.

First, before speaking, please wait until I recognize you by name. When I recognize someone by name, the operator will turn on the audio of that person; however, this may take a few seconds. During the questions and answers, I ask that members identify the witness to whom they are addressing their questions rather than simply directing their questions to the entirety of the panel. This will allow me to recognize the witness and give them the floor. All comments by members and witnesses should be addressed through the chair.

I should add that when I recognize a witness to respond to a question, if other witnesses wish to respond to the question, they should dial *1 to let the moderator know that. Should members want to request the floor outside of the designated time for questions, please dial *1 and the moderator will signal this to the chair as well. Hopefully, unless there are technical issues, we won't need to do that because it will interrupt the questions and/or answers.

When speaking, please speak slowly and clearly and avoid using the speakerphone. I also ask that members and witnesses speak in the language that they have chosen for the meeting, so whatever line you have dialed in on. If you have dialed in on the English line, speak only English. If you have dialed in on the French line, speak only French. If you have dialed in on the main floor line, you can speak in either language.

Should any technical challenges arise, in particular in relation to interpretation, please dial one to signal this to the chair and the technical team will work to resolve the issue. Please note that we may need to suspend during these times as we need to ensure that all members are able to participate fully.

During this meeting we will follow the same rules that usually apply to opening statements and the questioning of witnesses during our regular meetings. Each witness will have 10 minutes for an opening statement, followed by the usual rounds of questions from members.

Before we carry on, since this is a purely audio meeting and we can't see who is in the room, I'd like to acknowledge who is in the room in the public portion of this meeting.

I am Ron McKinnon, the chair. We have our clerk, Mr. Jacques, and our analysts, Karin Phillips and Sonya Norris.

From the Conservative Party we have Matt Jeneroux, Dr. Robert Kitchen, Len Webber, Tamara Jansen, and Pierre Paul-Hus. From the Bloc we have Mr. Thériault and Mr. Champoux. From the NDP we have Mr. Davies. From the Liberals we have Mr. Van Bynen, Ms. Sonia Sidhu, Dr. Powlowski, Mr. Kelloway, Mr. Fisher and Dr. Jaczek.

As witnesses we have, from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Ms. Tina Namiesniowski and Ms. Cindy Evans. From Health Canada we have deputy minister Stephen Lucas. From the CBSA we have Mr. John Ossowski and Mr. Denis Vinette. From Global Affairs we have Heather Jeffrey.

Each group has a 10-minute opening statement. We'll start with the Public Health Agency of Canada. I recognize Ms. Namiesniowski to deliver a 10-minute statement.

Thank you.

[Tina Namiesniowski, President, Public Health Agency of Canada]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you for the opportunity to update the committee on the Public Health Agency of Canada's efforts to respond to the novel coronavirus pandemic in Canada. I will give you a short overview of the situational update. As of this morning there were 719,758 confirmed cases globally, and 33,693 deaths worldwide. Cases are being reported from 197 countries and jurisdictions and from aboard international conveyances. The United States of America now has the greatest number of cases relative to the overall outbreak. As of March 30, they had 164,610 cases, and that number will be greater as of today. They are reporting 10,781 total deaths. As you're aware, things continue to evolve rapidly in terms of the spread of the illness and response efforts both globally and here in Canada. As of noon today, we have tested 236,000 Canadians and have 7,708 confirmed cases and 89 deaths. The situation in Canada is evolving daily.

In terms of the overall Canadian response, since we are seeing a daily increase in cases both globally and here in Canada, the risk to Canadians is considered high. We are already seeing a significant impact on our health care system as facilities are activating their pandemic plans and moving forward aggressively with preparations. Our health system is adjusting on an ongoing basis to respond to the situations, working alongside provincial, territorial and municipal counterparts. We at the federal level are continuing to monitor the situation and are working extremely closely with our provincial and territorial partners. In that context, as I think many of you know, we do have formal governance in place at the federal/provincial/territorial level, which includes the special advisory committee that is co-chaired by Dr. Tam and which is at the centre of the public health response from a pan-Canadian perspective.

Dr. Tam could not be here this afternoon because as we speak she's actually meeting with her provincial/territorial colleagues. Federally we are also continuing to adapt our border and travel measures as the Canadian and global situation evolves. We want to make sure that individuals, as they enter Canada, know and have the information they need to protect themselves as well as fellow Canadians. I can speak generally to some of these measures, and I'm sure my colleague, the president of the Canada Border Services Agency, will touch on some of these as well.

As you may know, as of March 21, Canada and the U.S. agreed to temporarily restrict all non-essential travel across the Canada-U.S. land border for 30 days. This timeline may be extended as needed. There is an exemption for workers who are essential for the movement of goods and people. Those include healthy workers in the transportation sector, for example, who move goods and people across the border on a continuous basis. The Government of Canada has also closed its border to people who are not citizens or permanent residents of Canada, and there are few exemptions to this rule. In addition, as of March 25 at midnight Canada implemented another emergency order under the Quarantine Act, which means that any person who enters Canada by air, sea or land must now mandatorily isolate or quarantine for 14 days.

Prior to that, this measure was being undertaken on a voluntary basis. Quarantine facilities have been identified to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and are being used to lodge symptomatic people who do not have private transportation or who are unable to get to their own dwelling to isolate since no symptomatic person is being allowed to move forward within Canada upon their arrival using any means of public transportation. The Government of Canada is also working very closely with provincial and territorial partners to promote the appropriate use of personal protective equipment, to identify areas of priority, and to collaborate on procurement of that equipment and other medical supplies such as ventilators. The government is working hard and exploring all avenues to secure supplies.

On March 27, the Prime Minister announced $137 million dollars of procurement of medical supplies, which will include an immediate purchase of 20 in-stock ventilators and a purchase order for 500 more. This also includes options to continue to buy additional ventilators. In addition, the procurement will also include an immediate purchase of 55 million surgical masks and a conditional purchase of test kits currently going through approval for certification, which has implicated our National Microbiology Lab.

The Prime Minister also announced an investment of at least $50 million from the NGen supercluster. This investment will support the development of products and equipment that are in high demand for health care workers. These are in addition to previous announcements made earlier towards the purchase of personal protective equipment and other necessary medical supplies.

We and other representatives of the federal government are working very closely with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, as well as with colleagues at Public Services and Procurement Canada, to identify domestic manufacturers, to look to see how we can accelerate domestic production and to safely accelerate regulatory review and time frames to make sure that equipment is ready and available for our front-line health care workers.

I think it is true to say that in the context of this crisis, we've seen many individuals come forward in the manufacturing sector to aid Canada. We've been amazed by the responses we've received and are working around the clock to triage and assess opportunities. We've had vast numbers of offers of direct support from businesses, and we've also had some offers, through various organizations, to provide donations to Canada.

In addition to personal protective equipment, as I mentioned earlier, there has been a focus on testing within Canada. We are working hard, collectively across the country, with all jurisdictions, to advance testing. The National Microbiology Lab continues to support provinces and territories needing assistance with testing and other reference services.

Finally, Canada is also participating in the context of research and development investments. We're participating in the World Health Organization's solidarity trial, which is a multi-country clinical study looking at potential drug treatments for COVID-19, as but one example.

As you will see and hear on a regular basis, Canada is very much focused on advancing an approach that is looking to flatten the epidemic curve in Canada. As part of that, there are measures in place across the country that are focused on having individuals socially distance themselves from each other, stay at home to the extent possible, avoid crowded places and practise all of the good respiratory hygiene that Dr. Tam has talked about since the start of the development of COVID-19 globally.

From the Public Health Agency's perspective, we are very focused on continuing to support all efforts throughout the country to do just that. As Dr. Tam talks about constantly, the time is now to double down on our efforts and really work in a concerted way to do everything that is possible to flatten the epidemic curve.

The time has come for all Canadians to do what's necessary to help us get through this pandemic. I think everybody recognizes that these are difficult times for everyone who is experiencing this crisis worldwide, and there is no exception; the same holds true within Canada.

I will just conclude by saying that as the situation continues to evolve and as PHAC's response continues to evolve to adapt to the situation, we remain committed to providing updates and information as it becomes available. We're pleased to be here this afternoon. We'll do our utmost to answer any questions that any of the members of the committee may have.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Thank you, Ms. Namiesniowski.

We'll go now to Mr. Lucas, deputy minister, for a 10-minute statement, please.

[Dr. Stephen Lucas, Deputy Minister, Department of Health]

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you for the opportunity to speak to the committee today about Health Canada's role in the government's response to COVID-19.

I'll just start by echoing the comments that President Namiesniowski concluded with in terms of the critical importance of us all working together, and all Canadians, to support the effort now. Certainly Health Canada and all of our staff across the country are fully dedicated to this effort.

The COVID-19 pandemic is unlike anything we have seen in recent history. I can assure you that Health Canada is taking all the measures we can to protect the health and safety of Canadians. Health Canada plays a vital role in the government's response as the regulator of health products. Core to our regulatory mandate is the review of health products for safety, quality and efficacy. During this critical period, it is very important to get drugs and medical supplies quickly to the front lines. We are focused on expediting the review and approval of drugs and devices to address COVID-19, while continuing to ensure that these products are safe and effective for Canadians. We're using all the tools in our tool kit.

Last week, the government welcomed the passage of amendments to the Food and Drugs Act and the Patent Act, to streamline processes and provide the government with additional powers to help prevent and mitigate shortages of drugs and medical devices, to seek additional information from companies to confirm that products are safe for Canadians, as well as to make, use or sell a patented invention, such as a medication or a ventilator, that is needed to respond to the pandemic. These amendments help position us to adapt quickly. Our goal is to ensure that Canada is prepared for whatever challenges come our way in the coming days and weeks.

Another critical regulatory tool we have is the use of interim orders. An interim order is one of the fastest mechanisms available to the Government of Canada to help make health products available to address large-scale public health emergencies such as the one we are experiencing now. Earlier this month, the Minister of Health approved an interim order to allow quicker, more flexible approval of the importation and sale of medical devices necessary for Canada's response to COVID-19. This order made two new diagnostic tests immediately available to Canadian laboratories, and we continue to approve additional tests.

Despite all these efforts, we anticipate there will be shortages of health products, given global demand. Health Canada is working proactively to identify and mitigate the impact of drug and medical device shortages on Canadians and health care professionals during our ongoing work to combat COVID-19. We have stepped up our surveillance efforts and, as I have mentioned, have adopted new, more agile, rapid processes to help ensure that Canadians have access to the drugs and medical devices they need.

We've increased the frequency of our engagement with industry, provinces and territories, health care and patient groups, and international partners. We're doing this work to have signal identification and coordination of key mitigation efforts as early as possible.

As the president of the Public Health Agency mentioned, we're using all of the tools at our disposal to expedite the supply of safe and effective personal protective equipment. Protecting our front-line workers, those who care for the sick and keep our communities running, is one of our top priorities. Health care workers need a reliable supply of appropriate PPE to do their job safely. To that end, we're expediting approval of licence applications related to PPE products, sanitizers and disinfectants, and facilitating expedited access through the interim measures I noted. This work is critical to ensure that Canada is able to benefit from the latest advancements and to support both our domestic production that President Namiesniowski noted, as well as supplies coming in from wherever we can get them abroad.

As we know, no jurisdiction is immune to the threat and impact of COVID-19 and no individual government can respond alone. Co-operation and collaboration are critical to our response and have been part of our work from the start with provinces and territories, as well as with health care professionals, patient groups and industry. The Minister of Health and I, as well as Dr. Tam and President Namiesniowski, speak with our counterparts at the provincial and territorial levels very frequently, and certainly our deputies and officials do every day. This is critical for us to ensure coordinated efforts and regular communication.

In this context, we're working to understand the assets and potential pressure points on the health care system and to mobilize resources to support provinces and territories wherever possible.

We're using data and modelling to help understand the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic and where we can expect the pressure points.

As you may be aware, all the case data we have now is made available publicly through daily epidemiological reports on the Covid.ca site and through a Statistics Canada portal where the detailed data was made available to researchers yesterday.

Another key area for collaboration with provinces and territories is in the area of digital health.

Right now we are asking Canadians to stay at home as much as possible and to practice physical distancing. For many, this means they may have to access medical professionals and social supports in alternative ways.

Provinces have been mounting tools, and we're working with them to augment them. We recently launched an online health assessment tool for Canadians who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. It complements those already available in some provinces and territories and helps users determine whether they need medical attention or testing.

We're also developing, and plan to launch, an online mental health support that provides comprehensive psychosocial support to Canadians as they manage through this exceptionally stressful time, working with a variety of resources.

Finally, I would like to speak briefly about Health Canada's role in protecting the health of federal employees in the workplace.

Through our public service occupational health program and in collaboration with the chief human resources officer for the Government of Canada, we have advised federal departments on how to manage the risk of COVID-19 in the workplace. We have provided advice for a wide variety of work settings and have developed targeted advice for specific workplaces, including for the agents of the Canada Border Services Agency on the front line. This is critical to ensure they are protected as they perform their functions in helping Canadians and all of us combat the disease.

In conclusion, at Health Canada we're committed to doing everything we can to protect the health and well-being of Canadians, from people in communities to health care workers to federal public servants. The magnitude of this responsibility has never been clearer and the imperative for action now has never been stronger. We are working around the clock to help protect the health and safety of Canadians.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Thank you, Mr. Lucas.

We'll go now to the Canada Border Services Agency and John Ossowski, president, for 10 minutes, please.

[John Ossowski, President, Canada Border Services Agency]

Good afternoon, Mr. Chair and members of the committee. Thank you for the invitation to participate in today's proceedings and for providing me with the opportunity to discuss with you the important work being done by the Canada Border Services Agency in the midst of this global health crisis. Also participating in the call is my vice-president of our travellers program, Mr. Denis Vinette, who has been leading the measures at all ports of entry with respect to the traveller stream.

Mr. Chair, I'd like to begin by saying I'm very proud of the men and women at the CBSA, who are working tirelessly both on the front lines and behind the scenes to help contain the spread of COVID-19 while keeping essential goods flowing to Canadians. The health and safety of our workforce is paramount and we continue to work closely with Health Canada, the unions and our employees to ensure they are protected.

You are all aware that the situation has evolved rapidly and we continue to adapt our operational posture to respond. As the Minister of Public Safety outlined in presentations before the House of Commons and the Senate last week, the CBSA has a dual mandate to protect the safety and security of Canadians while facilitating trade and commerce at the border. In the face of COVID-19, I can assure the committee that we are working hard on both fronts.

From a safety and security perspective, the Government of Canada has put in place a number of enhanced border measures to help mitigate and contain the spread of the virus. These measures, which began on January 22, have resulted in a dramatic decrease on the inbound flow of travellers to the country. As a result of the prohibition of foreign nationals, including United States nationals, from entering Canada by air, land, rail and marine for non-essential or discretionary purposes, we have seen an overall decline of travellers by 79% in all modes, including air, since the prohibitions came into force, and 94% when compared with the same period last year.

Regardless of how and where they arrive, all travellers are being assessed upon their arrival into Canada. Travellers who are deemed to be symptomatic are provided with surgical masks and information on mandatory self-isolation by the CBSA, and are required to complete the contact tracing form. They are then directly referred to a Public Health Agency of Canada officer for assessment and follow up.

As Minister Blair mentioned, Transport Canada has also increased the responsibilities of air carriers flying into Canada. Air carriers are required to conduct a health check of every traveller at the gate prior to boarding, and must ask the traveller if they are exhibiting a fever, coughing or difficulty breathing. If a traveller is symptomatic, air carriers must also ask the traveller if they have been denied boarding in the past 14 days due to a medical reason related to COVID-19. Travellers answering affirmative to either of these questions, or if they refuse to answer the questions, will be denied boarding by the air carrier, which will then advise the CBSA. Travellers who have a medical certificate stating that the symptoms are not related to COVID-19 will be exempted.

The CBSA now informs travellers that it is mandatory to self-isolate for 14 days upon entry into Canada. The CBSA also has measures in place to assist the Public Health Agency of Canada in its efforts to monitor and enforce compliance of the mandatory self-isolation orders, through contact tracing for all travellers arriving in Canada in land and air mode and through temporary lookouts in our systems.

The contact tracing form captures basic biographical data and contact information for the passenger while in Canada. Once completed it is provided to the Public Health Agency of Canada, which determines when and how to share this information with provincial authorities and/or law enforcement. Mandatory contact tracing applies to all travellers by land or air.

The CBSA also creates temporary lookouts in its system to support Public Health Agency efforts to ensure that asymptomatic travellers comply with directions on self-isolation following entry into Canada, and that symptomatic travellers who are issued a quarantine order under the Quarantine Act comply with those orders. The temporary lookout measures are already in effect.

Lookouts will not be issued on all asymptomatic travellers, but rather on those the CBSA believes may not have respected the requirement to self-isolate and have given indications that they may be unwilling to comply. The CBSA will notify the Public Health Agency every time it encounters an individual who it believes has failed to comply with the order to self-isolate. The lookout information will be maintained for a period of 14 days. The CBSA will share that information with United States Customs and Border Protection.

The CBSA will support compliance with the Public Health Agency travel and public health order issued under the Quarantine Act, including providing information at the border.

Turning to our facilitation mandate, I also want to assure the committee that the CBSA understands the critical nature of ensuring that essential goods and services, food, medicines and workers continue to be able to move across the border.

Let me be clear that while we have seen a reduction in truck traffic, overall the supply chains for Canadian industry and businesses remain intact. In fact, 114,032 truck drivers have been permitted to enter Canada since restrictions took effect on March 21. This is why there are important exemptions to the recent travel restrictions that were put in place. Whether it be first responders, truck drivers or workers supporting the agricultural and transportation sectors, these are some among us who are providing the essential services necessary to keep Canada's engines running.

To this end, I recently wrote to the secretary general of the World Customs Organization on March 17 to—

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Mr. Ossowski, pardon me.

[John Ossowski]

Yes?

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

You're at 13 and a half minutes. Could you wrap it up soon, please?

[John Ossowski]

Sure. Sorry about that.

I'll finally say, Mr. Chair, that as the Prime Minister announced on March 27, we have been able to respond to requests for relief from importers and businesses by extending to June 30 the time frame for importers to pay duties and taxes that are normally collected by the CBSA.

To conclude, I'd like Canadians and parliamentarians alike to know that the CBSA is working at home and with international partners to provide maximum support to COVID-19 efforts, whether directly supporting Government of Canada-led repatriation efforts or in screening all travellers who seek to enter Canada.

I will end my remarks here. I'm happy to take any questions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Thank you, Mr. Ossowski.

We now go to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Ms. Heather Jeffrey, assistant deputy minister, consular, for security and emergency management.

Please go ahead for 10 minutes.

[Heather Jeffrey, Assistant Deputy Minister, Consular, Security and Emergency Management, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The scale and scope of the COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented for us and is probably the most complex consular emergency we've had to manage, in that it's limited not just to one country or region but has global impact, including here at home at our headquarters.

We are providing consular assistance to Canadians in all countries of the world simultaneously, and at the same time we've had to redesign how we work in order to keep our own staff abroad, and their families, safe and healthy.

Since we last met, Global Affairs has been working around the clock to facilitate the safe return home of thousands of Canadian travellers who found themselves stranded because of the sudden imposition of border measures to prevent further COVID-19 spread.

Our efforts have included coordinating flights and logistics for air travel and the travel by air, sea and road that's required in order to reach those flights. We've been operationalizing constantly changing global travel advisories and travel information updates. We have stood up a new COVID-19 emergency loan program abroad and we are continuing to provide our normal emergency consular services while coping with the additional caseload related to COVID-19.

In the last 10 days, we have facilitated 42 flights back home from 29 countries, enabling thousands of Canadians to return, and we have flights planned for an additional 20 destinations in the coming days, including flights later this week from India and Pakistan.

At the same time, we're contributing to the government-wide efforts to keep essential goods and services that Canadians depend on moving across borders, preparing for the future by sustaining our international alliances, sustaining global supply chains and responding to urgent calls for assistance from the international community.

Information is critical for good decision-making. To this end, we have issued an official global travel advisory for Canadians to avoid all non-essential travel abroad and to avoid all travel by cruise ship.

Hundreds of updates have been made in real time to our country-specific travel advice to help Canadians make well-informed decisions and be aware of border closures and restrictions.

We continue to urge all Canadians outside of Canada to register with the “registration of Canadians abroad” service so they can receive important updates and check the entry and exit requirements of the countries through which they might need to transit. In addition, Canadians in need of emergency consular assistance can contact our 24-7 emergency watch and response centre by email or by phone.

We know that in many regions there are still Canadians trying to get home. We are continuing to work with other governments, local authorities and commercial airlines to find new options. In countries where commercial flight options are no longer available, we've been facilitating access to special flights and we have worked with domestic authorities to unlock restrictions on domestic movement that have been imposed due to local quarantines.

We continue to monitor cruise ships still afloat with Canadian passengers and crew. We have updated this committee in the past on our efforts with the Diamond Princess and the Grand Princess, and we are continuing to work around the clock to ensure the safe passage of citizens back home from the ships that remain at sea.

In the past week we have had successful repatriations from ships docked in Brazil, Argentina, South Africa and Chile, and we are working right now with our international partners to secure the passage of the Zaandam and Rotterdam through the Panama Canal and to assist with disembarkation once they make their way to Florida.

We have dramatically increased the number of Global Affairs Canada staff in our emergency watch and response centre to respond to the high volumes of calls and emails that we're receiving from Canadians abroad. After a peak of around 10,000 calls and emails a day, in the last few days we have been receiving an average of 5,000 calls and emails. We've been increasing staff to respond to demand and have been able to keep wait times over the last four or five days to around two minutes.

As part of our consular efforts we've put in place the COVID-19 emergency loan program for Canadians who have no source of funds available to return home or to sustain them while they are forced to remain abroad. This is an emergency repayable loan that helps either to facilitate their return to Canada or to cover their basic essential needs. To date approximately 500 loans, totalling $1.4 million, have been approved, and we are prioritizing pending applications that are required for urgent flights.

Despite the challenging circumstances, all of our Canadian diplomatic missions abroad remain open, and we are providing full consular and emergency services to Canadians even as we take the necessary precautions to protect the health and safety of our staff, their families and visitors to our missions.

Of course, we have to respect the guidance and rules imposed by local health authorities. We have adapted our service delivery models to local conditions and constraints on accessibility.

While we continue to make extraordinary efforts to assist travellers in returning, as Minister Champagne has made clear, with mounting restrictions abroad it is becoming increasingly difficult to bring Canadian travellers back home. To that end, we have developed a new page with advice for Canadians who are remaining outside of Canada on their safety and security. Having learned from our experiences in China, Japan, Italy, and other lockdown situations, we've provided new guidance to all of our missions on the unique demands of quarantine situations and on the kinds of services we need to provide in those circumstances.

We're also continuing to work with external stakeholders to try to address emerging challenges, for example, by encouraging travel insurance providers to continue to support Canadians impacted by COVID-19, especially those who are unable to return to Canada through no fault of their own, by renewing or extending insurance policies.

In conclusion, since the beginning of this crisis we've been focused on trying to take concrete actions to ensure that Canadians remain healthy and safe so that we can assist those who are affected and repatriate those we can. The situation has evolved over the past two months from our response to quarantines in specific regions, countries and aboard specific ships to what is a global consular effort in mobilizing the resources of our entire department and our mission network in every country as well as here at home. We are going to continue to rely on our dedicated and professional staff to respond to these new challenges and to serve Canadians in the best way we can.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Thank you, Ms. Jeffrey.

Before we go on, when I mentioned the list of participants in the meeting, I failed to mention, I believe, Ms. Jenica Atwin of the Green Party. My apologies.

We'll go now to questions from the committee. I will point out that we will follow the regular rounds of questions according to our routine motions. I believe we will have enough time for three rounds.

We will start with Mr. Jeneroux.

[Technical difficulty—Editor]

Go ahead for six minutes, please.

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

Thanks, Ron.

This is just to highlight the problems we've had. At the beginning of this committee it took us 13 minutes to get this off the ground, and now another couple of minutes here to get to the questions. I certainly believe we should look at extending it so that we get more than three rounds in.

To begin my questions, because I have limited time, I want to first thank our front-line workers and essential service workers, and everyone who is doing their part to contain COVID-19. As cases continue to mount, I would imagine hospitals are starting to prepare for an influx of cases.

Not to be too critical of the government's work, but there's no doubt that some of the measures were implemented much too late. Canadians are asking whether the government is prepared for the next surge.

I'll provide some examples. On January 29, many members in the House of Commons asked for Canada's borders to be closed in high-risk areas. The government implemented this measure only on March 16. On March 9 members again pushed the government to enact the Quarantine Act and to enforce mandatory quarantine for incoming travellers. It wasn't until March 25 that the government rushed an announcement that mandatory quarantine would be enforced—again, weeks too late. On March 23 our colleagues called on the government to cover 75% of wages following the government's announcement that it would cover only 10%. Then on March 27 the government backtracked and increased the wage subsidy to 75%.

This is all on top of how, on February 4, the government sent 16—

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Hold up, there, Matt. The interpretation has.... Is interpretation available again? Can you not hear Mr. Jeneroux speaking?

Okay. Go ahead, Matt.

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

On top of all this, on February 4, the government sent 16 tonnes of medical supplies to China. This was after medical supplies were selling out here in Canada and after the health officials told Canadians that there would inevitably be more cases in Canada, so there are reasons why Canadians are worried.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Interpretation, you cannot hear Mr. Jeneroux. Is that correct?

Matt, your time has been adjusted for all this stuff, so please carry on and we'll see if we're better off.

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

Mr. Chair, Canadians are worried that the government is not prepared to support our front-line workers and sick Canadians when we do reach our peak.

Until two weeks ago, this government was still advising Canadians that risk was low. We're already hearing about hospitals being overwhelmed, supply shortages across the country and, honestly, just a lack of preparedness for a pandemic. Even though the Minister of Health stated that the government has been treating COVID-19 like a pandemic from the beginning—

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

We'll suspend the meeting and wait to reconnect Mr. Jeneroux.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

We'll see if it works better for interpretation.

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

Again, Mr. Chair, thanks for the time. There are obviously some hiccups that we're working on here. I certainly hope they make those adjustments at the end of this meeting so we all get our quality time from all members of the committee.

First, I want to again thank our front-line workers, essential service workers and everyone who is doing their part to contain COVID-19. As cases continue to mount, I would imagine hospitals are starting to prepare for an influx of cases. Not to be too critical of the government's work, there is no doubt that some measures were implemented too late and Canadians are asking questions about whether the government is prepared for the next surge. I'll provide some examples.

On January 29, many members of the House of Commons asked for borders to be closed to high-risk areas. The government implemented this measure only on March 16.

On March 9, members again pushed the government to enact the Quarantine Act and enforce mandatory quarantine for incoming travellers. It wasn't until March 5 that the government rushed an announcement that mandatory quarantine would be enforced.

On March 23, our colleagues called on the government to cover 75% of wages following the government's announcement that it—

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

I'm sorry, Matt, interpretation is still a problem.

Matt, please go ahead and slow down a bit.

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

Mr. Chair, honestly, this is ridiculous. We're able to have Zoom meetings. We're able to use all this other technology. To not be able to get through some simple questions, there certainly seems to be a lack of preparation for this committee.

Considering we're already an hour into the meeting, I'll jump right to my questions, because I want to make sure that other members also have the opportunity to ask questions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

For your information, I'm adjusting your time. Everybody will get their proper amount of time.

Go ahead.

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

I have five questions. In recognizing that we have very little time, I'm hoping that the Public Health Agency and Health Canada can answer these questions. I'll list them.

Does Canada have the medical equipment and the supplies to handle the massive amounts of cases expected across the country?

Do you expect the country to peak all at once or will individual provinces peak at different times?

How many beds are currently available across the country for COVID-19 patients?

Are hospitals across the country converting ICUs into COVID-19 units?

Finally, knowing that the Deputy Prime Minister said this morning that this is going to get worse before it gets better, does the government have a plan for temporary hospitals?