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.