QUESTION PERIOD — Health
Coronavirus
February 27, 2020
Honourable senators, my question is for the government leader in the Senate.
Senator Gold, the new coronavirus has spread to numerous countries beyond China, with at least 37 countries now reporting cases. I’m sure the number has gone up even as we speak. Although the World Health Organization has not yet declared it a pandemic, it has said that the virus has pandemic potential.
In light of this, what steps are the government taking to prepare itself for a potential COVID-19 pandemic?
Thank you very much for the question. Regrettably, the numbers have increased, even from yesterday. I think we are up to 45 countries now, up from 27 last week.
I’m advised that although the risk in Canada remains low, the government and all health professionals and institutions understand we need to be prepared.
With regard to your question — because I know there are others in line for questions so I won’t elaborate — Canada did develop, as you may know, a pandemic response plan in 2009, which includes accelerating research here and contributing to international efforts to develop a vaccine abroad. Unfortunately, vaccines are not the solution in the short term for what we are facing here.
Canada will choose its course of action. Regardless of whether or not the World Health Organization declares this a pandemic, the Government of Canada and its partners in the health networks in Canada are working very hard to prepare for the possibility of an increased number of Canadians infected. I have been assured that all of the institutions, health care agencies and workers are working very seriously on this.
So while the Minister of Health is advising that there is low risk to Canadians of contracting COVID-19 while at the same time encouraging people to immediately begin stockpiling food, water and medication — in fact, Toronto has already run out of hand sanitizer and face masks — should we be remaining calm and not worry or should we be panicking? Senator Gold, is this not sending mixed messages to the country?
Thank you for the question. Nobody could fault Canadians for being worried. Of course we should be worried, but that does not mean we should panic. I think there are measures that Canadians can and are taking to protect themselves, not the least of which is washing our hands diligently.
Other measures are being taken. As you may know, Air Canada has decided to cancel its flights between Canada and China, and other measures are being recommended to Canadians.
We have to be worried about the spread of this virus, as viruses can spread with the increasing interconnectedness of our world. It would be idle, foolish and irresponsible to be indifferent.
I have not been advised that there is a reason to panic. I don’t think that panic will serve anyone well. The Government of Canada is monitoring this closely, and Canadians should have confidence in their health care system to be doing the best it can to protect our well-being.
Honourable senators, I also have a question on the coronavirus.
I have been reading a lot of news coverage about it. In the last few days, we have been hearing from a lot of people. I have made a list of some: the Deputy Chief Medical Officer of health for Canada, the Chief Medical Officer of Health for Ontario, and the head spokesperson from the United States. There is information on the government website. Dr. Michael Garron, an infectious disease specialist, was on television yesterday and again today. Way down the list we had our own Minister of Health talking about stockpiling food.
Who in this government is in charge of the coronavirus file? Who is the individual responsible? Everybody is in on it now.
The punchline of an old joke in the Jewish tradition is: “On me you shouldn’t depend.” I’ll tell you the joke later.
I am not going to hide behind federal-provincial jurisdiction despite my training as a constitutional lawyer. Health is a provincial matter. Health is a local, national and international issue. The Minister of Health in the federal government is the key responsible person and is working with her counterparts and colleagues throughout the country.
This is a complicated situation. There is no simple solution to it nor a simple answer to your question, valid though it is.
People are very concerned because not only is the news media covering stories from professionals, they are also talking to individuals, and people are very concerned. There is a disservice being done to Canadians, because there is a lot of contradictory information out there. Some say it’s a pandemic, and some say we’re on the brink of a pandemic. Some say the vaccines will take three months; some say a year. Now I heard it is going to be a year and a half.
On Friday of last week — I don’t know if you watched it or not — the Prime Minister had a live press conference regarding the issue of the blockades. It was quite a lengthy press conference. I watched it from beginning to end, and it is what it is.
What I don’t understand is why is there no press conference of that nature on this subject? Why could the Minister of Health not have a press conference? She could be there with the chief medical officer of health and all the specialists to answer questions. People are concerned, especially when you hear your Minister of Health saying, “Go out and buy tinned goods and start stockpiling.”
I know you can’t explain why it hasn’t been done, but would you take that message to her? It is a disservice to Canadians. We don’t know and we are all concerned.
Recently someone flew on a plane from somewhere in the East to Vancouver. They said that person is now in isolation. What happened to the plane? Most of the people here are flying on planes.
Could you deliver that message, please?
I most certainly will.
