By Andrew Thomson | UPDATED 2:27pmET
Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos and federal public health officials discuss COVID-19, federal testing capacity for travellers, and the latest projections:
Read the federal modelling, which warns Canada could face 10,000 daily cases by January if transmission rates increase by 15% or the Omicron variant spreads rapidly:
The update comes one day after auditor general Karen Hogan reported that the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) could not properly track travellers and continues to fall short in ensuring compliance with mandatory orders.
PHAC did not know the compliance status of 66% of incoming travellers last spring, the report concluded. Electronic information tracking via the ArriveCAN app has reduced that number. But as of June 2021 the percentage of untracked travellers remained at 37%.
Hogan’s office also claimed PHAC was unable to fully execute two border measures introduced earlier this year:
1) Some 30% of COVID-19 test results could not be properly matched to incoming travellers between February and June 2021 due to “errors or inconsistencies” of information collection. Only about 40% of those travellers with missing or unmatched results were contacted to extend their quarantine period.
2) Because PHAC did not establish an automated system to track compliance among air passengers ordered to quarantine at government-authorized hotels, the agency could “verify hotel stays for only 25%” of travellers between February and June 2021.
Also: “although the agency referred more travellers to law enforcement for in-person follow-up, it did not know the outcome for 59% of priority referrals … the agency continued to lack complete information about how many travellers ultimately complied with the border measures and whether its enforcement approach was working to limit the spread of the virus and its variants.”
IN THE HOUSE
MPs return to debate on the speech from the throne and the Conservative opposition amendment.
IN COMMITTEE
Canada Revenue Agency officials face questions on Bill C-2 at the Standing Committee on Finance (1pm ET / 10am PT).
Bill C-2 would:
- Extend the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit and the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit until May 7 and increase the maximum duration of both by two weeks.
- Extend the Canada Recovery Hiring Program through May 7.
- Establish the Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit to provide a weekly $300 income support to eligible workers affected by a local lockdown between Oct. 24 and May 7.
- Establish the Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Program with a subsidy rate of up to 75 per cent; eligible businesses include hotels, restaurants, bars, museums, tour companies, gyms, casinos, and wedding venues.
- Establish the Hardest-Hit Business Recovery Program that targets “other businesses that have faced deep losses, with a subsidy rate of up to 50 per cent.”
- Establish the Local Lockdown Program for businesses that face temporary closure.
A number of other House committees hold their first meeting to elect a chair.
Meanwhile, Justice Minister David Lametti goes before the Senate legal affairs committee for questions on Bill C-3 (1pm ET / 10am PT).
