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COVID-19: Appearance before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health ()—CBSA opening remarks
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Paul MacKinnon, Executive Vice-President, Canada Border Services Agency, before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health on (3:30 pm to 5:30 pm).
Good afternoon Mr. Chair and members of the Committee.
Thank you for the invitation to be here today. I have with me, Mr. Denis Vinette, the Agency's Vice-President of its Travellers Branch.
As this Committee is aware, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is the first point of contact for inbound international travellers and therefore plays an important frontline role in preliminary health screening at the border.
Under the Quarantine Act, Border Services Officers are designated as screening officers, and, as part of its normal day-to-day operations, the CBSA has standard border measures in place to screen travellers for signs of communicable diseases subject to quarantine.
From the outset of reports of the 2019 novel coronavirus, Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) have worked closely with the CBSA to provide advice and guidance on additional border measures to prevent its spread, including specific instructions on the processing of travellers suspected of being ill, and on ensuring the health and safety of its frontline officers.
I will take a few moments to outline the enhanced border measures that have been put into place, as well as efforts to support the assisted departure efforts of Canadians from China.
Firstly, I would emphasize that specific signage has been placed in Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto international airports to advise travellers that if they were in the province of Hubei, China, they may have come in contact with novel coronavirus. The sign outlines the symptoms of the virus, and instructs travellers that if they feel sick upon their arrival, they are to advise a CBSA officer who will refer them, at the airport, to a PHAC officer.
In addition, the signage states that if they become ill after leaving the airport they should contact a local health care provider. The signs are posted in English, French and simplified Chinese.
Another measure, implemented on , was that international travellers arriving at the Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto international airports were asked an additional health screening question to identify individuals who had travelled to Wuhan, China.
On , this screening question was expanded to identify any travellers who may have been in the province of Hubei, China.
Between and , a total of 791 travellers responded they had been to Hubei Province, and all were subject to additional questioning and screening by the CBSA.
Out of those 791 travellers, the CBSA has referred 18 individuals who indicated they felt ill or who were visibly ill to a PHAC officer for further screening.
When an officer identifies an ill traveller, the individual will be provided a mask to wear and will be asked to use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
The health referral to a PHAC quarantine officer takes precedence over immigration, customs or food, plant and animal processing. It is only once the traveller is cleared by PHAC, that the individual would be processed for immigration and customs concerns, in accordance with existing procedures.
Last Saturday, the CBSA expanded its enhanced screening procedures, and is in the process of ensuring the signs are posted, in the following airports: Edmonton, Winnipeg, Calgary, Ottawa, Billy Bishop in Toronto, Quebec City, and Halifax. Over the weekend, 37 have responded positively to the health screening question at the additional locations.
All travellers who have been in the province of Hubei but do not feel ill, are being provided an information sheet advising them what to do if they become ill following their arrival in Canada.
In addition to being focused on processing all arriving passengers we are also focused on the health and safety of our Border Services Officers.
The CBSA is working with Health Canada and PHAC, as well as the Customs and Immigration Union, and airport authorities to provide the latest information to our officers.
At this time, Health Canada has recommended that CBSA officers handling documents and baggage of potentially ill persons wear gloves, as is already part of the CBSA's best practices.
Should a situation arise where an officer must be in close proximity to a potentially infected traveller for a prolonged period of time, such as escorting the traveller or remaining with them, the officer is to wear gloves, a mask, and eye and face protection.
Various airport authorities, have added their own additional measures to ensure that airport environment and equipment remain clean. They are increasing the frequency of disinfecting electronic kiosks, common spaces and surfaces, in addition to increasing the installation of hand sanitizers. The CBSA is also using a specialized cleaning solution to sanitize frequently touched areas in the CBSA hall and the arrivals area.
We continue to work closely with Health Canada experts to apply the appropriate measures, including the examination of standard operating procedures for dealing with travellers who may exhibit symptoms of illness.
Health screening on entry to Canada is an important public health tool and is a key component of this multi-layered government response strategy.
For these reasons, Mr. Chair, as you can expect, the CBSA is working closely with PHAC, GAC, and others on the assisted departure of over 200 Canadians from Wuhan, China. Our role will be to have officers on the ground to verify the identities and documents of those eligible to depart. Once cleared, they will be logged onto a flight manifest. Upon their arrival in Canada, health screening by PHAC will take precedence, prior to CBSA examination and clearance.
Our officers stand ready, equipped with the tools they need to assist the Government in its whole of Government response to novel coronavirus.
Thank you. I would be happy to answer the committee's questions.
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