Health committee  Thank you for the question. Mr. Chair, this is quite a complicated question. Of course, maintaining surveillance as well as keeping an eye on all the evolving international data on omicron is really important. First, we have laboratory networks, including genomics networks, connected to the international community that are on a constant lookout for any new variants of concern.

Health committee  Yes, as the minister said, all the policies should be reviewed. Right now, we're in a massive omicron wave, so I think the layers of protection at the border are there for this period of time, and they should be evaluated as the situation evolves.

Health committee  I think the Public Health Agency will be there to support the minister on whichever date has been decided. Just for the record, I'm not actually directly involved in the program. For it to be useful to the committee, the Public Health Agency will propose the most suitable witnesses.

Health committee  I think that information is being collected and is actually in the jurisdiction of the provinces. As they are testing health care workers coming back after five days, for example, they are going to be generating some of the information that we need. This is simply what has been available in the literature, particularly in preprint as well.

Health committee  Yes. We do not get provided with the occupation of the cases as it pertains to transportation workers.

Health committee  Thank you for the question. Mr. Chair, we have been trying to update our information on the period of communicability, which means how long you can potentially spread the omicron variant once you're infected. There is very little information on that, but the studies that we've managed to amass, including a recent one from Japan, suggest that the period of communicability is no shorter than for the other variants because the viral shedding and the viral load don't decrease until day 10 following symptom onset or specimen collection after the diagnosis.

Health committee  Yes, mental health is an extremely important aspect of the pandemic response as well as an ongoing issue. I have been a great advocate to consider physical and mental health together, so the Wellness Together platform is extremely important, and there is a new application called PocketWell that links to this platform to provide instant access to resources that Canadians need, be it a counsellor or other support.

Health committee  For the initial supplies, the Public Health Agency has been working with the provinces and territories to discuss how these will be best deployed. On that front, we provided some interim guidance to assist with prioritization, in collaboration with clinical experts across the country, as well as ethicists, in order to prioritize these doses to people at the highest risk of severe outcomes.

Health committee  Right now, there's no change to the definition for the border purposes, and the provinces haven't shifted on that definition as yet, but we will review that once more Canadians have had the opportunity to have their booster doses.

Health committee  Thank you very much for this opportunity to appear before you today to speak to the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic. As we continue to deal with the challenges posed by COVID-19, preventing severe illness and death while minimizing societal disruption remain top priorities in Canada's response to the pandemic.

Health committee  Can you hear me now? I'm not using my headset microphone, but if you can hear me, I think that should be okay.

Health committee  That's good.

Health committee  That was the physical button. Thank you.

Health committee  I'll start, but it may be Dr. Lucas who's in a better position to answer this. All I know is that the clinical trials and the recruitment of participants have included both males and females in a good proportion, but the trials are done in tens of thousands and can't scope in every single population group.

Health committee  I think NACI has made its recommendations. Right now, the detail work that was done with the provinces and territories is in fact coming back to Brigadier-General Brodie with the actual numbers of doses that they require. Some individuals still want AstraZeneca as their second dose, so the provinces are making sure those doses are covered.