Close X
Sunday, November 10, 2024
ADVT 
National

PM Creates COVID-19 Cabinet Committee To Deal With Novel Coronavirus

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 04 Mar, 2020 08:25 PM

    OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has created a new cabinet committee to deal with the novel coronavirus outbreak, which began in China but now has spread around the world.

     

    "We need to make sure that people make the right decisions. That's why we put forward a committee that will be responsible for ensuring that Canadians have the right frame to make the good decisions for their families, for their communities," Trudeau said in an appearance in St-Jerome, Que., north of Montreal.

     

    "We need to keep alert, but we need to keep moving forward in a way that keeps Canadians safe and keeps our economy rolling."

     

    The COVID-19 committee is meant to complement the work being done by the government's incident response group, Trudeau said. That group often includes top permanent officials in addition to politicians.

     

    The cabinet committee will continue to monitor the health impacts of the virus to make sure the government response takes all possible measures to prevent and limit the spread in Canada, Trudeau said.

     

    Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland chairs the group; Treasury Board President Jean-Yves Duclos is vice-chair.

     

    The other members include Industry Minister Navdeep Bains, Public Safety Minister Bill Blair, Health Minister Patty Hajdu, Economic Development Minister Melanie Joly, Finance Minister Bill Morneau and Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough.

     

    Kirsty Duncan, deputy leader of the government in the House of Commons, will also be a "core participant." Duncan is a medical geographer who studied and lectured on pandemics before she was elected to parliament, and wrote a book on her studies of the 1918 Spanish flu. She also was minister of science for a time.

     

    Trudeau said the government has been watching the global impact of the virus on the economy closely.

     

    "We're seeing that in terms of tourism there's an impact, there's an impact on investment, on the airline industry, on the auto industry as well. We're seeing a slowdown," he said.

     

    He pointed to supply-chain disruptions in China affecting Canadian businesses as well.

     

    "There will be an impact and we're there to try to find solutions together with companies and communities."

     

    The risk of community transmission of the virus and its accompanying respiratory disease, COVID-19, is still considered low in Canada, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.

     

    Canada now has 33 cases of the new coronavirus, most of them in Ontario.

     

    But globally, the number of countries detecting new cases increases by the day, and the virus is circulating in several of those countries, including the United States.

     

    There are now at least 90,870 confirmed cases in 72 countries, including nearly 3,000 deaths, according to the latest numbers released by the World Health Organization.

     

    MORE National ARTICLES

    RCMP Falsely Reports Child's Death In Vehicle Crash In British Columbia

    RCMP Falsely Reports Child's Death In Vehicle Crash In British Columbia
    KAMLOOPS, B.C. - The RCMP say they have mistakenly reported the death of a child in a crash near Kamloops, B.C.    

    RCMP Falsely Reports Child's Death In Vehicle Crash In British Columbia

    Arrests Made, Tires Slashed On Patrol Cars In Northern B.C.: RCMP

    Arrests Made, Tires Slashed On Patrol Cars In Northern B.C.: RCMP
    VANCOUVER - First Nation leaders were among dozens of people arrested as police enforced injunctions against protesters across the province late Monday and Tuesday.    

    Arrests Made, Tires Slashed On Patrol Cars In Northern B.C.: RCMP

    Halifax Council Studies Quiet Fireworks Displays To Avoid Alarming Veterans

    Halifax Council Studies Quiet Fireworks Displays To Avoid Alarming Veterans
     A Nova Scotia city councillor is pushing for quiet fireworks in Halifax out of concern the noise is alarming veterans and people on the autism spectrum.

    Halifax Council Studies Quiet Fireworks Displays To Avoid Alarming Veterans

    Acquittal Quashed: Homeowner Who Gunned Down Car Thief To Be Tried Anew

    TORONTO - A homeowner who gunned down a would-be car thief seconds after a driveway confrontation will again have to stand trial on second-degree murder, Ontario's top court ruled on Wednesday.

    Acquittal Quashed: Homeowner Who Gunned Down Car Thief To Be Tried Anew

    Prepare For New Coronavirus Like An Emergency, Health Minister Advises

    OTTAWA - Health Minister Patty Hajdu is encouraging Canadians to stockpile food and medication in their homes in case they or a loved one falls ill with the novel coronavirus.    

    Prepare For New Coronavirus Like An Emergency, Health Minister Advises

    Ontario Confirms New Case Of Coronavirus, Patient Had Travelled To Iran

    Ontario Confirms New Case Of Coronavirus, Patient Had Travelled To Iran
    TORONTO - A woman in her 60s who recently travelled to Iran has become the fifth person to contract the novel coronavirus in Ontario, as the province's monitoring of the virus widens.

    Ontario Confirms New Case Of Coronavirus, Patient Had Travelled To Iran