I call this meeting to order.
Welcome to meeting number 23 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health.
Today we're going to meet for one hour to hear from witnesses for our study on the emergency situation facing Canadians in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Before I introduce today's witnesses, I have a few of the standard reminders for meetings.
This meeting is taking place in a hybrid format, pursuant to the House order of November 25, 2021.
For members, please wait until I recognize you by name before speaking, and please mute yourself when you're not speaking.
For the witnesses, if you aren't already aware, you have the choice at the bottom of your screen of either the floor, English or French. For those in the room, you can use the earpiece, of course. Please refrain from taking screenshots or photos of your screen. All of the proceedings today will be made available on the House of Commons website.
To our members, in accordance with our routine motion, I am informing the committee that all witnesses have completed the required connection tests, probably multiple times, in advance of the meeting.
Let me now welcome the witnesses and tell you how much we appreciate the efforts you have made to be with us. We very much look forward to hearing from you, and obviously you look forward to speaking to us. Otherwise, you wouldn't keep coming back and having to deal with the exigencies of democracy in Canada in June.
With that, we have with us here today, Dr. Wai Haung Yu, assistant professor, department of pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Toronto, and independent scientist, brain health and imaging, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health; Dr. Noni MacDonald, professor of pediatrics, infectious diseases, Dalhousie University and the IWK Health Centre; and from the Canadian Pharmacists Association, we have Danielle Paes, chief pharmacist officer.
Again, thank you so much for being with us.
We're now going to hear opening statements of five minutes or less.
Dr. Yu, we're going to start with you.
You have the floor. Welcome.