Health committee  Right across Canada the system is so alerted that our local jurisdictions are investigating a number of people. They're regularly assessing people who have returned from China. Anyone who then fits the case definition doesn't have to wait for a test or for a diagnosis. They are immediately put under isolation so you don't have to wait for the test.

Health committee  I'm not. I don't think I can be absolutely certain about that. It sounds like the U.K. may be doing something like that, but—

Health committee  Since SARS, certainly learning from the pandemic of H1N1 but also with our existing vaccination programs, we have a lot of capacity and protocols already in place. This is what public health is every day. In our pandemic preparedness plans and our national federal-provincial-territorial response plans, the vaccine response is a major piece of the response, which goes all the way down from the acquisition of a vaccine.

Health committee  For any global epidemic situation, international collaboration is key. Having the international health regulations and everyone sort of working under that umbrella, and having WHO's leadership, is very important. They've strengthened a lot of that. You've seen countries that previously didn't have the capacity, like China, having acquired that capacity.

Health committee  I think this is part of the collaboration we're trying to pull together. At the Public Health Agency we are contacting other departments. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research, which is part of our health portfolio, is also part of this effort. They are looking at the researchers we have here, but we do have to link with the global effort.

Health committee  That's a very good question. WHO, of course, will have recommendations for countries that have the actual epidemic, and then others. It has already given some advice ahead of this. For example, for other countries, not China, the advice is to be vigilant and to prepare to respond to contain any imported cases.

Health committee  We have—

Health committee  I think that after SARS, much capacity has been put in place, including the Canadian Public Health Laboratory Network, which involves all the provinces, so there are provincial laboratories. I think our end goal, if possible, is that as many of them as possible can do the test, because you need to be rapid.

Health committee  I think we are very much in line with similar countries. Right now, the World Health Organization is particularly worried about countries without capacities, particularly in the African region. I think the assessment of WHO as to whether it considers this a public health emergency of international concern isn't necessarily focusing on countries that have capacities like Canada's.

Health committee  Obviously, we collaborate as part of WHO and the member states. What we have seen, given my close communication with WHO, is how impressed they are by the work of China. The astoundingly rapid way in which they tried to get a handle on what is causing the outbreak, and giving the world the sequence of the virus, was very helpful.

Health committee  Again, the WHO International Health Regulations Emergency Committee will meet tomorrow. They will have some recommendations.

Health committee  Not just that, but if we go beyond.... Right now, let's say, WHO does not recommend travel bans, and any measures that a country is to take must not be out of proportion to the risk and must not inappropriately impact travel and trade. We are a signatory to the international health regulations and we'll be called to account if we do anything different.

Health committee  Not countries, but I think there are three areas. I believe the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, for example, has put on a sort of block, but I believe there are three jurisdictions.

Health committee  There have been very few imported cases. Overall, in terms of 100% of the cases, I don't think there is a very specific male-to-female ratio of note. At the beginning, there was, when it was linked to a specific cluster in a particular market. There was a male preponderance in those cases, but I think right now not specifically.

Health committee  Just to add to that, though, about the exported cases, most of them have actually been relatively mild. There has been only one exported case that had a severe outcome.