Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Canada has some of the strictest travel restrictions and border measures in the world, but with new variants of concern, we know that we need to take additional measures to protect Canadians against COVID-19. Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have clearly indicated that no one should be travelling because it could endanger the traveller and those close to them.
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Mr. Speaker, every step of the way Canada has used science and evidence to respond to COVID-19. We have worked with provinces and territories. We have given billions of dollars to provinces and territories to help them in their health care responsibilities. We have funded research. We have acquired vaccines. In fact, as my hon. colleague mentioned, we acquired 650,000 this week alone. We continue …
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Mr. Speaker, since the beginning of the pandemic, we have added layers of protection at our border crossings to protect Canadians from the importation of COVID and, indeed, most recently from the variants that have arisen across the world. Part of the process now, as the member opposite knows, is that anyone who is returning to Canada must take a PCR test upon arrival and quarantine until the rece…
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Mr. Speaker, as I have said before in the House, it is important that Canadians remember, now more than ever, that now is not the time to travel internationally. We have added layers of protection on our border, including the need to be tested upon arrival and to quarantine until those results have arrived. We have added additional operators on the line. We thank Canadians for their patience when …
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Mr. Speaker, every step of the way, we have been monitoring this virus as it changes and taking appropriate steps as necessary at the border to strengthen our processes. I will remind the member that we have had a mandatory 14-day quarantine for quite some time now. In fact, we want to thank provinces and territories for the hard work they have been doing with us to ensure the enforcement of that …
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Mr. Speaker, every step of the way, we have protected Canadians from the importation of COVID-19 at the borders. Adding the additional layer of testing at the borders, with quarantine, while we wait to receive the results of those tests is an additional step to understand the role of variants of concern and how the virus is shifting and changing and how it will impact our success. I want to thank …
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Mr. Speaker, I think the member opposite knows that decisions around which public measures are applied, and when, lie with the provinces and territories. We have been there every step of the way to support them in these very difficult decisions. Whether they are financial measures to support individuals, businesses, or indeed the provinces and territories themselves, we have been there and we will…
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Mr. Speaker, I would agree with the member that public health measures, including restrictions, have been difficult for all Canadians. I will start there, thanking Canadians for their enormous contributions to the safety and health of their friends, their families and their communities. We are on a good path with vaccination and, as the member knows, we are set to receive well over 600,000 vaccine…
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Mr. Speaker, that is exactly what we have been doing. We have been supporting provinces and territories. The member mentioned rapid testing. Millions upon millions of rapid tests have gone to provinces and territories and, even after that, guidance, support, training and working with the private sector to make sure that no matter where and when Canadians have access to testing that will help them …
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for her ongoing work and advocacy for those who are most vulnerable, including seniors. It has been a privilege to work with her on these issues. I agree that there are some folks who are more vulnerable to death from COVID-19 and to contracting COVID-19. That is why the national advisory committee on immunization has provided advice and guidance to pr…
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Mr. Speaker, I am so proud to be part of a government that has heavily invested in science and research since 2015, when we took over from the Conservative government, which had in fact slashed investment in research, slashed investment in science and slashed investment in the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. In fact, because of that prescient investment we made in 2015 and onward, we have …
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Mr. Speaker, we do have mRNA vaccines, two of them to be precise, and they are 90% effective. In fact, the manufacturers are very confident they are also effective against the variants. Those are the ones that we will be receiving more of each and every week, including this week: 400,000 from Pfizer, and an additional 400,000 the week after, etc. I am very confident in the work of the Health Canad…
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Mr. Speaker, we share the concern of the member opposite about the effect of variants taking hold in any Canadian community. That is why we have worked so diligently with the provinces and territories to support them in all of their efforts to contain the virus, including sending in additional support with the Canadian Red Cross to particular settings, like the one she mentioned, to help ensure we…
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Mr. Speaker, all Canadians have been working incredibly hard and sacrificing a lot to get through this pandemic. I want to thank all Canadians for their enormous efforts. We already have an intergovernmental coordinating committee, which is called the special advisory committee, and all medical officers of health from all across the country work together as professionals, as doctors, to guide our …
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Mr. Speaker, every step of the way that is exactly what we have been doing, acting with provinces and territories to protect Canadians. In regard to the member's question about rapid testing, we agree that it is a very important tool. As the member may realize, we have shipped over 21.6 million rapid tests to provinces and territories: 4.1 million to Quebec, 6.7 million to Ontario, 2.3 million to …
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Mr. Speaker, every step of the way, we have been transparent with Canadians, including by giving updates in the press, on a regular basis, from a variety of officials and elected officials, and by working clearly and transparently with provinces and territories so they can plan the vaccine rollout. We will continue that approach, because Canadians expect no less.
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Mr. Speaker, again, we are lucky in Canada to have the national advisory committee on immunization, which has provided expert advice about how to roll out the variety of vaccines that Canada has received and will receive. This advice reflects the best scientists who work for the NACI team and provide that advice to the Government of Canada. It also allows for the provinces and territories to build…
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Mr. Speaker, every step of the way our response has guided by science and evidence. We are so proud of our hard-working public servants, researchers, scientists and public health professionals who have helped Canada in its response. I will also point the member to the canada.ca\coronavirus website where all of the data that we are collecting is available. In fact, many researchers around the count…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her hard work on the health committee. We know that we need to do more to ensure that all Canadians have access to reliable, accurate and timely information about vaccines and the importance of vaccination. That is why we have announced the immunization partnership fund, which will provide over $30 million for community organizations and leaders to develop tailo…
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Mr. Speaker, every step of the way, we have been there for provinces and territories as we have fought COVID-19 together. Whether it is through the provision of billions of dollars to ensure that provinces and territories have the capacity to test, contact trace and safely isolate or whether it is to provide personal protective equipment, purchase testing or vaccinations, that is what we have been…
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Mr. Speaker, every step of the way, as the science and research has evolved around COVID-19, Canada has been guided in our response by that science and evidence. In fact, quarantines are an important measure in protecting Canadians from the importation of the virus and now the importation of variants. Every step of the way, we have followed research and evidence, and we will continue to do that. I…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for advocating for low-income families and for access to dental care. As I have said in the House, this seems like a worthy area to investigate and I certainly would be more than happy to review any recommendations that might come from the health committee or the committees that study the issue.
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Mr. Speaker, every step of the way, our government has worked to protect the lives of Canadians from COVID-19 from the beginning with, as my colleague has mentioned, some of the strictest measures on the border, with a mandatory 14-day quarantine, which was most recently strengthened, and the $19 billion in support for provinces and territories and the supports for long-term care, ensuring that pr…
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Mr. Speaker, the issue of vaccination and travel is a live one. I met with my G7 counterparts last week to talk about standardization of international travel. My colleague is correct. We know that vaccination saves lives. The science is still unclear, yet, about what effect it has on transmission. That science is evolving. We will be sharing the understandings and knowledge of vaccination as it be…
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Mr. Speaker, we have been working closely with the provinces and territories to make sure they have the supports, tools and resources necessary to deploy the vaccine as it arrives in Canada. I am extremely grateful to the hard-working ministers of health from all across the country, who are doing exactly that. We will continue to work together to protect the health of Canadians, including that of …
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Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite may or may not know, the delivery of health care falls within the jurisdiction of the provinces and territories. Having said that, we have been supporting provinces and territories to have the tools they need. Almost 16.8 million rapid tests have been sent to provinces and territories to date: almost six million to Ontario, three million to Quebec, 1.5 million t…
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Mr. Speaker, food security is critically important to Canadians and to their health. That is why, in the very beginning of the pandemic, we were so invested in ensuring that many of the food providers around the country had the support they need. We invested millions and millions of dollars across the country to make sure food security could continue to be front and centre for communities. In fact…
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Mr. Speaker, every single step of the way we have been working with the provinces and territories to protect people living in long-term care homes, including by ensuring that we provided national guidance that could support provincial guidance on vaccination priorities. Let me back up. With the safe restart money that we provided the provinces and territories in the spring, $740 million was earmar…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Scarborough—Agincourt for her dedicated focus on the wellness of seniors not only in her riding but Canada-wide. Every step of the way, we have been there to help support the provinces and territories deliver on their health care responsibilities for people in long-term care, whether it was the $740 million in the spring through the safe restart ag…
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Mr. Speaker, mental health has remained a priority for this government since the beginning, since 2015. In fact, national standards work is under way with provinces and territories, as she well knows. Through the pandemic, the federal government is fully funding wellnesstogether.ca, which is an important tool to help Canadians get access to free, confidential care no matter where they live, in bot…
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Mr. Speaker, in fact, we have not only approved rapid tests but also shipped over 15.4 million rapid tests to provinces and territories to date, including almost 1.5 million to B.C. alone. Provinces and territories have also received guidance, and most recently, a document from a testing and screening expert panel on how best to use these rapid tests to screen in long-term care. I agree with the m…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his constant advocacy for mental health supports. I remind all Canadians we do have wellnesstogether.ca. It is an online portal that is available in both official languages, and translation into 60 others, so people can get immediate mental health and substance abuse supports no matter where they live in this country. In terms of working toward an easy three-dig…
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Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite knows, every step of the way in our response at the border, and indeed in fighting this pandemic, has been led by science and evidence. In the spring we immediately took measures to screen at the border, and further strengthened these with the need for mandatory isolation and quarantine when people arrived from international travel. We have strengthened the quar…
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Mr. Speaker, at every step of the way, Canada's response has been based on science and evidence. I want to thank Dr. Tam for her excellent leadership during this time. I will also thank the Public Health Agency of Canada employees who have worked so hard on behalf of Canadians all across this country. We will continue to spare nothing to ensure the agency has what it needs to continue to deliver f…
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Mr. Speaker, every step of the way, we have worked closely with provinces and territories on our COVID-19 response, including the challenges that many organizations are facing in caring for some of the most vulnerable. I continue to have those conversations with health ministers, including the minister from the member's province. We will continue to ensure that the provinces have what they need as…
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Mr. Speaker, at every step of the way, we have used science and evidence to advise our country on how best to respond to COVID-19 from those very early days when we were undertaking screening at the border, increasing measures to ban foreign nationals and asking Canadians to forgo non-essential travel. We have some of the strictest measures in the world, including a 14-day quarantine that is enfor…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Scarborough—Agincourt for her incredibly hard work to protect the people in her riding. Together, as a nation, we have worked to keep Canadians safe by securing millions of items of PPE, COVID tests and vaccines for provinces, territories and indigenous communities. We funded the Canadian Red Cross to provide rapid help in hot spots, including in long-term care …
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