Ms. Jeffrey.
Evidence of meeting #9 for Health in the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was working.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #9 for Health in the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was working.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:05 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Consular, Security and Emergency Management, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
What we find is that people assess where they feel they are going to be safest and most secure, and where they feel they have the most support mechanisms. Obviously the situation on the ground in different countries is changing from day to day. Different people feel more or less willing or able to travel, and more or less secure in terms of the environments they're in. For that reason, we are trying not only to help those who are looking to return to Canada, but also to provide a range of services for those who choose of their own free will to stay in the places where they are. In some cases, where there are quarantines in place and where Canadians might have been exposed to the virus, for example, or where they're in communities that are on lockdown, it is not possible for them to leave those areas until their quarantines are completed, and we are working to provide consular services to those who stay in place where they are.
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ron McKinnon
Thank you, Mr. Thériault.
We'll go now to Mr. Davies for two and a half minutes, please.
4:10 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Thank you.
This is for the Department of Health. A recent article in the British Medical Journal asserted that the public use of cloth masks or other homemade masks could help limit the spread of COVID-19 infection, even if there are only modest benefits. I know the director general of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention has just said that he believes it's a mistake not to require a mask, at least in close quarters, such as in offices or on transit, and we see that the Czech Republic and Austria have recently made nose and mouth coverings mandatory in public spaces.
Perhaps the Public Health Agency of Canada can answer this. Is the Public Health Agency of Canada considering similar recommendations with respect to masking in public?
March 31st, 2020 / 4:10 p.m.
President, Public Health Agency of Canada
Mr. Chair, I think from our perspective we always are open to what the science is telling us. We also recognize from the point of view of individuals that they make personal choices about what makes them feel comfortable. We're fully supportive of individuals making that choice, and if they feel the need to wear a mask, we believe that is something which individuals have a right to do. We certainly watch the science very closely.
Dr. Tam has offered that if people are to wear a mask, it's important that they know and understand the importance of wearing it properly and to think about how they should be putting on and taking off a mask. She has offered comments in the past about the importance of doing that correctly. In the context of all of the advice that we've given from a public health perspective, it's really important to do the right kind of respiratory hygiene: wash your hands and keep your hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth. Of course, as you're putting on and taking off the mask, you're certainly putting your hands near your eyes, your nose and your mouth. I think my colleague made reference to donning and doffing of personal protective equipment and the importance of doing that effectively from the training perspective. That would be our position in the context of wearing masks.
Certainly if individuals are sick or are symptomatic and are out and have the potential to interact with anyone else, we highly encourage wearing a mask, because that is one way to potentially restrict the transmission of whatever an individual may have to another person. Generally, we believe it's very important in the context of anybody who is symptomatic. Also, in the context of the air environment at an airport, I think my colleague Mr. Ossowski mentioned earlier that if there are individuals who are arriving in Canada and we believe that they are symptomatic, we ask them right away to put on a mask.
I'll stop there, Mr. Chair.
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
4:10 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Mr. Chair, if I might. I pressed start one about 10 times through that answer. I only have two and a half minutes and I was trying to get my next question in. I was just wondering if I would be permitted one more question since that was a very long answer to a fairly short question.
4:15 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
It has to do with the Emergencies Act. I don't know if I can make it super quick but I'll try to summarize it.
We know that the Emergencies Act is not just a modernized War Measures Act, but actually deals with broader emergencies, like a public welfare emergency. I'd like to read the definition of that.
A public welfare emergency is defined under the act as an emergency that is caused by a “real or imminent”...“disease in human beings” and that “results or may result in a danger to life or property, social disruption or a breakdown in the flow of essential goods, services or resources, so serious as to be a national emergency.” The act defines a national emergency as an “urgent and critical situation of a temporary nature that (a) seriously endangers the lives, health or safety of Canadians...”.
It gives the government a number of powers, many of which would be—
4:15 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
I'll just ask the Department of Health, what part of the definition does not apply, in the government's view, to the current COVID-19 situation? If COVID-19 is not a public welfare emergency, when would there be one?
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
4:15 p.m.
President, Public Health Agency of Canada
Perhaps I will start and my colleague from Health Canada may wish to add.
I think it's important, as we consider the Emergencies Act, that we also consider the context in which it is something a government may wish to choose to trigger, which is really in the event where we would need additional powers beyond what we potentially already have from a legislative perspective and/or where we are getting significant requests from provinces and territories for the federal government to come in directly and intervene in support of a request for assistance.
At this point, I think we have the authorities we need to deal with the situation that is currently before us.
Maybe I will just stop my answer there, but I would ask my colleague from Health Canada if he has anything to add.
4:15 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Health
I would just note briefly that critical to this work is ongoing collaboration with provinces and territories and other key partners who can supply needed materials and resources to help address the pandemic. That collaboration is essential, given that provinces and territories run the health system and have tools in their jurisdictions to manage emergencies.
As was noted, critical to this is ensuring that all the federal tools and those provincial and territorial capabilities are utilized. There is ongoing engagement with provinces and territories about what is needed to address the pandemic at all levels, and it's in that context that if it were to come to it, the Emergencies Act could be considered, but that requires consultation and assessment of steps taken. That's why we're working in strong collaboration with provinces and territories and other partners now to use the tools that we have to take all steps necessary to address this pandemic.
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ron McKinnon
Thank you, Mr. Lucas.
We go now to our third round. We'll start with Mr. Paul-Hus for five minutes, please.
4:15 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Paul-Hus Conservative Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
My first question is for Mr. Vinette of the Canada Border Services Agency.
Several weeks ago, there were no cases of coronavirus in Canada. So the border was our first line of defence. As we've seen, cases have finally crossed the border, particularly in Quebec, so that today we now have several thousand cases.
I understand this is a huge burden for the Border Services Agency. However, I would like to know immediately, without waiting for a report in six months' time, whether stricter procedures could have been put in place a few weeks ago.
Is it still possible to change procedures to ensure that future passengers arriving in Canada will be better screened, as we see in some countries?
4:20 p.m.
Conservative
4:20 p.m.
Denis Vinette Vice-President, Travellers Branch, Canada Border Services Agency
From the onset of the situation, we began to explore and work with the Public Health Agency of Canada on what measures we needed to put in place both at the land-air borders and at Roxham Road.
We began to introduce measures to effect the screening of all individuals, as requested. Recently we began to implement, with the RCMP at Roxham Road specifically, the review and questioning of individuals. We have always questioned all of those I would call “irregular arrivals” at Roxham Road, from a health perspective. In instances where an individual was not of well-being or was ill, we also had the services of the Red Cross to whom we could refer an individual for further verification.
Since we began the measures back on January 21, we've gradually increased our posture, informed by the Public Health Agency of Canada, in terms of what was required. We have continued to sustain an enhanced level of screening of individuals throughout that period.
In the event that someone was demonstrating symptoms of COVID-19, we would refer them to the Public Health Agency of Canada for additional screening and engagement with a quarantine officer.