Thank you, Mr. Chair.
It's a pleasure to be here along with colleagues from the CBSA, PSPC, Public Health Agency of Canada and NACI.
My remarks today will focus on the actions that Health Canada has taken to keep Canadians safe during this pandemic.
Health Canada is the regulator for health products, including therapeutic products, vaccines and medical devices. Our scientists review health products for their safety before they can be sold in Canada.
Early on, we recognized the need to facilitate the authorization of COVID-19 treatments and vaccines, given that in the early stages of the pandemic none were available. Health Canada expedited the review of COVID-19 clinical trial applications, treatments and medical devices through the use of interim orders so that Canadians could have access to the products they needed to keep safe. We have authorized 265 disinfectants, more than 4,500 hand sanitizers, 645 medical devices and two treatments.
In the context of treatments and vaccines, rolling reviews permitted manufacturers to submit their requests for authorization before they completed all of the clinical trials, allowing Health Canada to evaluate the data of promising candidates as it became available.
As you know, Health Canada has authorized five different COVID-19 vaccines. Ongoing monitoring of the safety and effectiveness of these vaccines is a priority for Health Canada. We also require evidence of product quality before each lot of vaccine is distributed in Canada. This is true for the Janssen vaccines received on April 28 that contained drug substances that were manufactured at the Emergent site in the United States. Health Canada continues to work closely with Janssen and our international partners, including the United States Food and Drug Administration, to confirm the quality of the supply, given the issues reported by the USFDA after its inspection of the Emergent facility in April.
Let me take a moment now to say a few words about testing and screening, which, along with public health measures and vaccines, help to slow the spread of COVID-19.
As of May 15, the department had approved 68 test kits, including 17 rapid tests. More than 27 million rapid tests have been shipped to the provinces and territories. In addition, as of May 18, the Government of Canada has provided almost 1.5 million rapid tests directly to private and not-for-profit organizations in critical sectors across the country. These rapid tests used in screening programs can help to identify pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic cases so they can be isolated early to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in workplaces and other settings.
As vaccine rollout continues, testing and screening remain important in protecting public health and supporting reopening.
Now more than ever, Canadians need access to virtual health care services.
The government is supporting the expansion of virtual care in Canada, which will help reduce the pressure on health systems and provide Canadians with needed health services and authoritative information in a safe and secure manner through telephone, text or video conferencing, in addition to face-to-face visits.
In May 2020, the government announced an investment of $240.5 million to increase access to virtual services and digital tools to support Canadians' health and well-being, and $150 million of that funding is being provided to provinces and territories through targeted bilateral agreements. In addition, Canada Health Infoway will receive an additional $50 million to support provinces and territories in their efforts to implement these new virtual health initiatives and work with the Canadian Institute for Health Information on content standards for virtual care.
In conclusion, we continue to work closely with provinces, territories and other partners to adapt to the challenges of delivering health care during the pandemic.
I look forward to answering your questions.
Thank you.