Close X
Sunday, November 24, 2024
ADVT 
National

Opposition call for transparent COVID decisions

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 21 Mar, 2022 04:53 PM
  • Opposition call for transparent COVID decisions

OTTAWA - What will it take for the federal government to lift COVID-19 vaccine mandates? Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos says it's complicated.

Conservative and NDP members of the House of Commons health committee hammered the minister with questions about a timeline, a benchmark, or a set of conditions that would trigger an end to vaccine requirements for travellers and federal employees.

"(Canadians) want to know what it will take for the mandates to end," said Conservative critic Michael Barrett told the committee Monday.

Duclos had no single answer, instead giving a long list of indicators the federal government is watching.

The decision, he said, will be based on everything from the vaccination rate, hospital capacity, and domestic and international epidemiology to the impact of long-COVID, the economy, and other social impacts.

While mandates are reviewed on a weekly basis, he said it would be "irresponsible" to answer whether there is a specific plan to end federal public health mandates.

"To be responsible means that you need to follow the evidence, the science and the precautionary principle and adjust or analyze policies as things evolve," he said.

Opposition parties have increasingly called for more transparency about how the federal government makes public health decisions under its jurisdiction.

"I find that quite shocking, that there's not an answer to be given, that it's much too complex for the health committee and for Canadians to understand," Conservative MP Stephen Ellis said to the minister at committee.

When asked what specific metrics could be used to decide when it's safe enough to call down federal mandates, Duclos offered a list of different numbers instead.

He said there were probably about 20,000 new cases of COVID-19, and a 10 to 30 per cent rate of infected people developing long-COVID.

He also told the committee $23,000 is the average cost to treat a patient with COVID-19 in the hospital, that less than 60 per cent of eligible Canadians have received a booster vaccine, and that 59 people died from the virus in Canada on Sunday.

"It gives you an example of the type of numbers, people and facts that we need to consider," he said.

The COVID-19 situation is "unstable," chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam told the committee.

Internationally, there has been an uptick in COVID-19 cases largely driven by a sub-mutation of the Omicron variant called BA.2.

While she does not ultimately make decisions about federal mandates, Tam suggested the government is waiting to see whether there is a resurgence in coming weeks and how provincial health systems are able to handle it.

MORE National ARTICLES

Gov. Gen. Simon requested briefing on Indian Act

Gov. Gen. Simon requested briefing on Indian Act
Canada's first Indigenous Governor General, within months of being appointed to the role, requested government officials outline what departments were doing to allow First Nations to move away from the Indian Act. Mary Simon, an Inuk leader, diplomat and negotiator, was sworn in last July as the country's 30th Governor General.

Gov. Gen. Simon requested briefing on Indian Act

Class action against RCMP for bullying to proceed

Class action against RCMP for bullying to proceed
The Supreme Court of Canada will not hear an appeal from the federal government trying to stop a class action against the RCMP over bullying and harassment. Last fall the Federal Court of Appeal upheld a judge's order certifying the class action.

Class action against RCMP for bullying to proceed

Vaccinated travellers won't need COVID-19 test to enter Canada as of April 1

Vaccinated travellers won't need COVID-19 test to enter Canada as of April 1
 The change is being made at the tail end of the Omicron wave in Canada, as new reported cases of COVID-19 have declined since mid-January. Duclos said the change is possible because of Canada's high vaccination rates and fewer cases of the virus being detected at the border.

Vaccinated travellers won't need COVID-19 test to enter Canada as of April 1

WHO may reject sole Canadian-made COVID-19 vaccine

WHO may reject sole Canadian-made COVID-19 vaccine
The World Health Organization says it expects to reject the COVID-19 vaccine candidate from Canada's Medicago because of the company's ties to big tobacco. The two-dose Medicago Covifenz vaccine was authorized in Canada last month for adults between 18 and 64 years old.

WHO may reject sole Canadian-made COVID-19 vaccine

Arson to two vehicles in Fraser Heights area of Surrey

Arson to two vehicles in Fraser Heights area of Surrey
Based on an inspection it was determined that the vehicles were intentionally lit on fire. Although this incident appears to be targeted, a motive has not yet been determined and the vehicle owners are not known to police.

Arson to two vehicles in Fraser Heights area of Surrey

235 COVID19 cases for Wednesday

235 COVID19 cases for Wednesday
There are 329 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 and 51 are in intensive care. In the past 24 hours, eight new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 2,953.

235 COVID19 cases for Wednesday