Health Committee on June 7th, 2021

[Drew Dilkens]

The part that's difficult for me to understand is that pathways have been found. I'm not asking for something unique here. Pathways have been found at the Carway crossing between Alberta and Montana. In fact, tomorrow and Wednesday, there will be further Canadians crossing at that port of entry to get their vaccine and return to Canada.

I'm trying to facilitate the same type of thing here in my community because the vaccines are being offered. People who live here who are calling me and telling me that this stuff is being thrown in the garbage. They're asking how we can get it into our supply chain so that we can help vaccinate our population.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Have you had any push-back from anybody on the American side, be it officials or health care providers? Is anyone signalling to you that they don't want to do this?

[Drew Dilkens]

I've spoken with the head of U.S. Customs—the one responsible for the port in Detroit. They have concerns with the vaccination on the U.S. side at the port of entry. They said they don't deem that to be essential travel into the United States. That's why we've had to work on other creative ways to try to make this happen. That is why we painted the line in middle of the Detroit tunnel.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Would you speculate that this is due to the fact that the Canadian federal government really doesn't have any plans or benchmarks for reopening the U.S. border, in spite of people like Republican congresswoman Elise Stefanik saying that they might have to unilaterally open the border?

I'll close with this, since we have you here.

If the Americans unilaterally open the border, as Elise Stefanik has sort of alluded to today, do you think PHAC or anybody would have the resources to follow up with the tens of thousands of Canadians who would almost certainly cross the border to get vaccinated?

[Drew Dilkens]

I am the mayor of the closest city to the United States, a major urban area on the other side of the border. When the border opens, if it opens later this month, there will be 10,000 people crossing it in the first couple of hours to get their second vaccine, to pick up packages and, most importantly, to visit loved ones they haven't seen in 15 months. Our system will be absolutely overrun. If the thought is that you have to be fully vaccinated plus a two-week window after your second vaccine to be considered fully vaccinated, the system will be completely overloaded at this point of entry very quickly.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Do you think any member of this committee should be—

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Thank you, Ms. Rempel Garner.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

I have 30 seconds left.

Do you think any member of this committee should be comfortable with 35,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine being thrown in the garbage?

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Ms. Rempel Garner, you do not have 30 seconds left.

[Drew Dilkens]

No.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

I did. Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Thank you.

We will go now to Ms. Sidhu for six minutes.

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to all of the witnesses who are joining us today.

I'll be directing my questions to Dr. Loh, but I would first like to thank him and his team for all of the hard work they have done in our community during this pandemic.

Dr. Loh, the new delta variant has been found in our community. On June 2 you said that we need to move quickly with second doses in Peel and other hot-spot zones for maximum protection. I agree with you on this need for prioritization.

Have you heard any feedback from the provincial government on prioritizing hot spots for the second dose?

[Dr. Lawrence Loh]

I'll preface my answer by saying that there may be a difference of opinion, at least amongst the three of us medical officers of health here, in respect of that. My recommendation is not my own professional opinion. It is simply reporting a recommendation made to me by the Ontario science table, which indicates that the delta variant is increasing rapidly throughout the province of Ontario and that the Region of Peel is the furthest ahead in terms the alpha variant being replaced by the delta variant, thus necessitating, potentially, consideration of prioritizing second doses for protection.

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

On April 20 you made the courageous decision to shut down workplaces that see outbreaks of five or more employees in order to avoid workplaces spreading COVID-19 in our community. Do you think there's anything additional that the province could have done to prevent workplace transmission during the height of the third wave in Ontario?

[Dr. Lawrence Loh]

Workplace transmission has been a significant issue throughout the course of the pandemic. In the Region of Peel, we've always talked about the need for investigations, inspections and protections. In respect of investigations, that really speaks to making sure that workplace outbreak investigations are conducted in a timely manner, and where they cannot be, they'll be brought in under a section 22 order.

It's not just that in and of itself. We know that paid sick days and things like proactive workplace safety inspections are all things that we've had dialogues about with our provincial partners and have seen some movement on, and we certainly would be desirous of continuing to work to really address spread in workplaces in our community. It has really been part of the reason that Peel region's transmission rates have looked the way that they do.

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Brampton is one of the most racialized communities in the entire country. I'm concerned that many of the policies of the Ontario government are disproportionately affecting essential workers who cannot access sick leave, and those who are living in multi-generational households and workplaces that may not be considered truly essential. Do you think the Ontario government has sufficiently examined the impacts of its policies on the community in Brampton?

[Dr. Lawrence Loh]

Thank you, Member Sidhu.

I know we've had numerous productive dialogues with our provincial counterparts. They understand and have expressed support for the unique challenges we face in the Region of Peel. Certainly things like paid sick days, proactive workplace inspections, etc., are all things that are needed.

I would also highlight that many of the challenges faced in Peel have also been the result of disparities that existed prior to the arrival of the pandemic in our community, reflecting the socioeconomic and ethnocultural diversity in our community.

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Thank you, Dr. Loh.

You said in your statement that the most impacted region, Brampton, has been the hardest hit in the entire province of Ontario. We have seen the horrible impacts of the virus on our community's workers and families. Have you provided any advice to the Ontario government that could have prevented the severity of the tragedy, and did they they really want to hear your advice and take it into account?

[Dr. Lawrence Loh]

As I've mentioned, Member Sidhu, we've regularly provided input to the chief medical officer of health and the ministry on measures that could be used in workplaces in terms of testing and vaccination strategies, etc. To the extent that some of those are taken up in part or in whole, I'd be hard-pressed to remember exactly which and where those policies have landed.

What I do know, like I said, is that the story of Peel has been a story of disparity and ultimately really reflects the socioeconomic and diversity challenges we have faced throughout this response, which have existed long before COVID-19 arrived.

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Peel was one of the first communities to have a federally funded voluntary isolation centre to help quarantine people who were not able to safely do so at home.

Could you speak to the effectiveness of the service?

[Dr. Lawrence Loh]

This isolation program has been extremely supportive in the course of our pandemic response. We've had over 2,500 individuals stay in our isolation housing locations, including locations that have been both provincially and federally funded. We are continuing to evaluate the [Technical difficulty—Editor].

We certainly believe in improved coordination of funding between provincial and federal levels for isolation housing. This could help to mitigate the administrative burdens on our staff and partners. We are certain that the having had the facility in our region has been helpful in addressing potential spread within households, which has also been another significant driver in our community.

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

In your opinion, has the Ontario government done enough to curb community transmission in the first, second or third waves?

[Dr. Lawrence Loh]

We've had numerous opportunities with the provincial government and discussions continue. I'm hopeful, looking forward, that we'll be able to do the right thing with the rise of the delta variant, and our ongoing vaccination program.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Thank you, Ms. Sidhu.

We will now move on to Mr. Trudel.

Mr. Trudel, you have the floor for six minutes.