Evidence of meeting #17 for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was travel.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Michael Keenan  Deputy Minister, Department of Transport
Lawrence Hanson  Assistant Deputy Minister, Policy, Department of Transport
Anuradha Marisetti  Assistant Deputy Minister, Programs, Department of Transport
Kevin Brosseau  Assistant Deputy Minister, Safety and Security, Department of Transport

February 18th, 2021 / 5:35 p.m.

Deputy Minister, Department of Transport

Michael Keenan

In the process of reviewing the transaction and analyzing all of the information available to support the government's decision on Air Transat, Transport Canada has carefully assessed all information received, including any information provided by any party that had any interest in purchasing—

5:35 p.m.

Bloc

Xavier Barsalou-Duval Bloc Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC

Thank you.

As I understand it, there was no discussion about this.

5:35 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Vance Badawey

Thank you, Mr. Barsalou-Duval.

Thank you, Mr. Keenan.

We're now going to move to Mr. Bachrach, our final speaker.

Mr. Bachrach, you have the floor for two and a half minutes.

5:35 p.m.

NDP

Taylor Bachrach NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Keenan, with regard to the recently announced travel restrictions, Canadians have identified a number of compassionate cases that are not covered under the announced exemptions. For instance, specifically, they're wondering about travel companions of a minor or travel companions of a person with a disability who is travelling across the border in order to access essential medical care.

Will the travel companion be able to access the same exemptions as the minors or the people with disabilities?

5:35 p.m.

Deputy Minister, Department of Transport

Michael Keenan

As the member indicated, in developing the order with respect to the requirements for a three-day stay and testing, the Public Health Agency of Canada has provided some additional carve-outs, for example, for people travelling for essential medical care, and has indicated that it would look at specific cases and situations like that.

I believe that is likely being looked at by the Public Health Agency of Canada. I can't authoritatively tell you exactly where it is on that, but again, as with a number of other questions that relate to the Public Health Agency of Canada's exact provisions and operating guidelines, we'll consult with it and we'll make sure to bring that information to the clerk of the committee.

5:40 p.m.

NDP

Taylor Bachrach NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

Thank you.

My last question is around the hotel quarantine as well. Specifically I'm wondering about people who may be positive but who are not caught by that test on arrival. The McMaster Pearson study found that a total of 1% of inbound passengers ended up testing positive—0.7% tested positive on arrival and another 0.3% after seven days.

The hotel quarantine, under the current restrictions, lasts for only three days. I'm wondering about that 0.3%. That's fully a third of the total positive cases that wouldn't be caught by the first test. Is there a risk of transmission if those people are able to leave after three days and travel on to their home destination?

5:40 p.m.

Deputy Minister, Department of Transport

Michael Keenan

The member raises a really good question.

In fact, I think that exact risk that's identified by the minister really informed the policy that has developed in two ways. The first is on the test the member is referring to, the post-arrival test. The core issue here is that in the first few days the virus is in the body, it's possible that it won't show up in even a PCR test. It takes a few days and then it starts to show up, but that post-arrival test, where the person has to stay in the airport hotel until it clears negative, is not the first test. It's the second test. They've already had a test up to 72 hours before they actually departed.

That test, depending on the exact details, is probably happening two, three or four days after the first test, so they're not clear of just one test; they're clear of two tests. The risk of their having COVID is much less than the statistics implied by the McMaster study. Also, then, they're still under an obligation to follow strict protocols for travel, and they're still under an obligation to follow a strict quarantine in, say, their homes. Then there's a third test at the end of that.

Building a system with three tests in it is geared to actually eliminate, to the greatest extent possible, the risk of anybody slipping through, because at any one point in time you may show a negative test even though you do have COVID. After those three tests, I think there's a high level of certainty that the person is clear of COVID and safe to move about their daily life.

5:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Vance Badawey

Thank you, Mr. Keenan and Mr. Bachrach.

To all members and to the witnesses, Mr. Keenan, Mr. Hanson, Ms. Marisetti, as well as Mr. Brosseau, I want to thank you for your candidness in the questioning today.

Mr. Brosseau, I'm glad you got that one question so that you were able to respond.

Thank you, Chris, for including him. I appreciated that.

To all the witnesses, I thank you, and I also thank Minister Alghabra for being very candid in his answers and really getting a lot of information out to the committee, which I'm sure the analysts have absorbed and will be included within the final report.

To all members and witnesses, thank you for your time today.

We'll see you on Tuesday at our next meeting. Have a great evening.