House of Commons Hansard #37 of the 43rd Parliament, 2nd session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was chair.
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
Madam Chair, we have provided provinces and territories with additional contact tracing support. We can do over 20,000 calls a day and we are providing support to Ontario, Quebec and Alberta, making some 1,400 to 1,600 calls per day for these provinces—
The Deputy Chair NDP Carol Hughes
There is no more time left. I am sorry.
The hon. member for Foothills.
John Barlow Conservative Foothills, AB
Madam Chair, has the minister directed her department to find out how many rapid tests would be needed to test every traveller coming into Canada at airports and border crossings?
Health—Main Estimates, 2020-21Business of SupplyGovernment Orders
Thunder Bay—Superior North Ontario
Liberal
Patty Hajdu LiberalMinister of Health
Madam Chair, as I mentioned to the previous member who was speaking, we are so enthusiastic about the border pilot project that is happening with Alberta. There are two others happening on both the east and west coasts. That research is going to give us a very good idea of how to use testing in—
John Barlow Conservative Foothills, AB
Madam Chair, the Province of Alberta asked for forgiveness not permission, was frustrated and went out on its own.
Do you know how many rapid tests would be needed to test every traveller coming into Canada by the border crossing and at the airports?
The Deputy Chair NDP Carol Hughes
I would remind the member that he is to address his questions through the Chair.
The hon. minister.
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
Madam Chair, well, it is quite clear that Alberta went on its own in some regards but not in regards to testing at the border. In fact, that is a joint research project with Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada. It is designed to understand better the mix of quarantine measures along with rapid testing to alleviate the burden of quarantine for people who are travelling—
Health—Main Estimates, 2020-21Business of SupplyGovernment Orders
November 26th, 2020 / 10:15 p.m.
NDP
John Barlow Conservative Foothills, AB
Madam Chair, has the minister directed any of her staff or her department to come up with a plan for rapid testing or at-home testing that would reduce or eliminate the 14-day quarantine?
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
Madam Chair, that is entirely the nature of this research project, as I mentioned, with Alberta. There are two others. There is one happening on the east coast with McMaster and another happening out of the Vancouver airport. These research studies will—
John Barlow Conservative Foothills, AB
Madam Chair, can the minister tell us when that pilot project will be concluded and when those tests will be available to reduce or eliminate the 14-day quarantine in Canada?
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
Madam Chair, the research study is 26 weeks in length, and the tests are available and being utilized in the pilot study.
John Barlow Conservative Foothills, AB
Madam Chair, I will be splitting my time with the member for Lambton—Kent—Middlesex.
Earlier at the health committee, Dr. Tam said that the COVID Alert app is ineffective because of a lack of testing and delays in results. Does the minister agree with Dr. Tam's assessment of the COVID Alert app?
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
Madam Chair, the faster people can get their results input into the COVID Alert app, the faster people who have been close contacts can be notified of their contact with that positive case. As the member opposite notes, we have supported the provinces and territories to increase—
John Barlow Conservative Foothills, AB
Madam Chair, the Liberal government spent $10 million on promoting the COVID Alert app and about 5% of Ontarians who tested positive actually used the COVID app to report their infections.
Does the minister agree with Dr. Tam's assessment that the COVID app is ineffective?
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
Madam Chair, we certainly hope the provinces and territories utilize their full capacity to test and are utilizing their capacity to increase the turnaround time so people can have access to their results sooner. That certainly will help with the COVID Alert app. What will also help is for all jurisdictions, including Alberta, to sign on to utilize—
John Barlow Conservative Foothills, AB
Madam Chair, earlier this evening the minister said several times that they have provided 4.6 million rapid tests to the provinces. Does the minister think in a population of 35 million Canadians, where rapid tests are needed multiple times, that 4.6 million rapid tests distributed by the federal government to the provinces is sufficient?
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
Madam Chair, at this point in time I guess they are since they are not being utilized by the provinces and territories, including Alberta, but certainly more are shipped every week and we will have more to supply every single week to the provinces and territories as they require them.
John Barlow Conservative Foothills, AB
Madam Chair, did the minister just blame the provinces for not accessing and distributing rapid tests? I want to make sure I am clear on that.
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
Madam Chair, what we know is that provinces and territories still have not fully deployed the rapid tests they have received in many cases.
John Barlow Conservative Foothills, AB
Madam Chair, at the outbreak of the COVID-19 crisis, the health minister as well as the Prime Minister told Canadians to stay home, especially during Easter. During that time, the health and the Prime Minister used the government jet to travel. In fact, the health minister used it 11 times.
Once again, during Christmas, they are telling Canadians to stay home. What are the health minister's travel plans for the Christmas holidays?