QUESTION PERIOD — Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Coronavirus Preparedness
March 12, 2020
Honourable senators, the Prime Minister, provincial and territorial leaders were expected to focus on the threat posed by COVID-19 at a meeting today that, understandably, has been cancelled. Although the Prime Minister has announced $500 million in funding for provincial and territorial health care, there were few details yesterday about how this funding will be distributed.
Leader, how was this amount of $500 million determined? How does your government intend to allocate this money for the provinces and territories? Will it be based on a per capita basis or on the number of confirmed cases? How long will it take to get this money to the provinces?
Thank you. These are important questions. Obviously, announcements need to be translated into actions, but the actions need to be coordinated with all the relevant authorities in the provinces and the territories, and then within a given province with the health care system and supporting system. The details of how the money will be distributed, to whom, and how it will be allocated, by necessity, has to be — and should be and will be — a function of the discussions that have been ongoing between the federal government and their counterparts in the provinces, in the territories and in the health care sectors that are affected.
I know that we are all concerned about this issue, as we are about the health and well-being of the Prime Minister and his spouse. I feel confident, notwithstanding that the meeting had to be cancelled today, that it will not stop the ongoing discussions and consultations to make sure the various types of support that the Prime Minister announced this week will find their way into the system as quickly as possible.
Yes. I hope that at the next opportunity we can expect the response and we will have these details. I’m sure we’ll be watching the news.
Senator, I’m going back to what we were discussing in regard to the screening centres at airports or at borders. In the event of a surge in cases that we may have to deal with across this country, two very important preparations that we need to make have come to my attention. This is based on an experience from another country.
I had a call from someone who has seen what happened in South Korea. The question is regarding Canada’s preparations with screening, not just at those places but in various regions, urban and rural, because the ability to test and screen will be essential, as well as providing space in hospitals or perhaps other facilities. The beds will be essential. Right now we are monitoring very carefully, but there is the risk of a potential surge.
Would you speak to whether these two things are being carefully monitored and prepared for in each of the provinces and regions? Again, the meeting is not happening, but would you speak to these particular items?
Thank you for the question. Again, I can only share what I know.
Let me speak for my own city and province. I’m on the latter question now of resources and beds. For some weeks now, the health centres in Quebec, particularly in Montreal, have been focusing on a number of hospitals, including the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal, which have been designated as places for receiving and properly isolating those who are infected and are, therefore, in the hospital. I’m confident that every province and every territory is doing the same to make sure their resources are in a state of readiness for the unpredictable numbers we’re likely to face, however large they are.
With regard to testing, one of the things that Canadians should be comforted by, reassured by — if it’s possible to be reassured in these times — is that Canada has done a very good job, compared to many countries in the world, in terms of testing and early testing. Many parts of the world are not testing at all, and therefore the numbers or the lack of reporting of incidents is misleading, and dangerously so. But Canada continues to do a good job, thanks to our provinces, territories and the institutions therein, to test as effectively as we can.
With regard to what you were alluding to, I watched the news and saw people being tested in their cars at checkpoints and things like that. I don’t know whether those things are being contemplated at this point. It is important to note that at least for the moment, the Public Health Agency of Canada is still reporting and advising that the risk to the Canadian population remains at a relatively low level, though that may change. It’s being monitored carefully and regularly. Thank you for the question.
