QUESTION PERIOD — Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Coronavirus Preparedness
March 12, 2020
Honourable senators, we’re really treading into some dangerous territory right now with COVID-19. The government continues to insist that the best way to deal with this issue is by telling people to wash their hands and to commission pamphlets for educating Canadians how to avoid getting COVID-19, which is fine and dandy. But the reality of the matter is every single case in Canada has been a case of Canadians who have been exposed to or have brought the virus back with them from various parts of the world where the virus is prevalent.
Will the Canadian government continue to hide its head in the sand or will they accept once and for all that we have to take measures like Germany, India and the United States have and buffer Canadians from this virus, which is clearly penetrating our country from various places of the world where it’s prevalent?
Thank you for your question. The sad but inescapable fact is that the virus is now spreading through and within communities. It is neither correct nor would provide real security to assume that sealing our borders or some measure like that would arrest and stop the challenges that we’re facing.
In this regard, I’d like to return to a point I made earlier that those with expertise in public health remain of the view that it would not be in Canada’s best interest to do so. For example, Steven Hoffman, Professor of Global Health, Law and Political Science at York University and a Scientific Director of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, stated within the last week that closing our borders to countries would not enhance Canada’s protection. He says that it’s contrary to evidence-based decision making, contrary to the advice of the World Health Organization and, arguably, as I said before, a breach of Canada’s legal obligations and to the International Health Regulations that came into force in 2007 and require countries to work together.
The Government of Canada is not sticking its head in the sand. It’s making decisions based upon the best advice from health care and public health care professionals around the world. The fact that other countries have taken other measures should not deter Canada from doing what is the best thing for the well-being of Canadian public health.
I’m sorry, Senator Housakos, but the time for Question Period has expired.
