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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 40

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
March 3, 2022 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 40 - Mar/3/22
Mr. Adam van Koeverden (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and to the Minister of Sport, Lib.)
  • Mar/3/22 6:23:09 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the question that was on the Order Paper was not asked, so I am unsure if the member opposite would like me to talk about measures at the border, health or oil and gas. I am never shocked when members of the Conservative Party would prefer to talk about oil and gas over pretty much any other subject, but here we are. I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak about the government's border measures to protect Canadians from COVID‑19. Border measures are based on available data, scientific evidence and monitoring of the epidemiological situation both in Canada and internationally. In response to the omicron variant, we implemented a number of measures to protect Canadians. Recent data indicates that the latest wave of COVID‑19, driven by the omicron variant, has passed its peak in Canada, which we can all be grateful for. Therefore, we can move toward a more sustainable approach to the long-term management of COVID‑19 at our borders. This approach includes adjusting our border measures and posture somewhat. As of February 28, 2022, the mandatory randomized testing surveillance program for vaccinated travellers now applies to all vaccinated travellers. That means that travellers who qualify as fully vaccinated, arriving to Canada from any country, will not need to take a COVID‑19 molecular test upon arrival unless they are selected at random. These randomly selected travellers will not be required to quarantine while they await their testing results. Children under 12 years old who are not yet fully vaccinated but are travelling with their fully vaccinated adult parents or guardians will continue to be exempt from quarantine, but now they are exempt without conditions. This means they no longer need to wait or to self-isolate before they can attend school, day care or camp. Also, they are no longer subject to testing and other specific requirements. There are no changes to requirements for unvaccinated travellers at this time. These travellers will continue to be required to test upon arrival and on day eight, and to quarantine for 14 days. Another change that was recently implemented is that travellers now have the option to use a negative COVID‑19 rapid antigen test or a molecular test for pre-entry requirements. In order for the rapid test to be valid, the test must be authorized by the country in which it was purchased and must be administered by a laboratory health care entity or a telehealth service. If it is self-administered, it must be observed by a lab, a testing care provider or via audio-visual means with the lab that performed the test. Travellers choosing to present a valid negative rapid antigen test will have to have taken that test no more than one day prior to their initially scheduled departure time or before entering Canada by land or water. For those choosing to take a molecular test, the requirements will remain the same. It is to be taken 72 hours before their flight or arrival at the land or sea border. Finally, the Government of Canada has adjusted the travel health notice from a level 3 to a level 2. This means that the government is no longer recommending that Canadians avoid travel for non-essential purposes, which is exciting for those looking forward to a trip in March. The Public Health Agency of Canada is working closely with other departments, including Global Affairs Canada, Transport Canada and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, to prioritize all the necessary measures to facilitate the inflow of refugees from Ukraine. As we have said all along, Canada's border measures remain flexible and adaptable, guided by science and prudence. In closing, I want to say how happy I am that my colleague opposite highlighted how good Alberta is at dealing with renewable energies, in particular solar and wind. We can all be very proud of that.
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Context: House Hansard - 40 - Mar/3/22
Mr. Adam van Koeverden
  • Mar/3/22 6:28:09 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his kind words with respect to the Olympics. I know he was a school teacher and taught my very good friend. I can say her name since she is not a member of Parliament: Sherraine Schalm. She competed in fencing. The Government of Canada's adjustments to the border measures are possible because we have a variety of tools at our disposal now. These include strong surveillance systems, a highly vaccinated population and continued access to vaccines and therapeutics both in and outside of our hospital system, and increasing access to rapid tests. I want to remind Canadians that they should still exercise caution when travelling abroad and that the risk of becoming sick while abroad is still very real. Canadians need to be aware that there is still a possibility that they will need to extend their trips if they test positive for COVID‑19 while abroad. There is also an ongoing risk that measures relating to travel abroad as well as to Canada may be changed during travel. The Public Health Agency of Canada works closely with other departments such as Global Affairs Canada—
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