Opening remarks and overview—Standing Committee on Health: Emergency Situation Facing Canadians in Light of the COVID-19 Pandemic (May 21, 2021)

Opening remarks

Good afternoon Chair, and members of the Standing Committee on Health. Thank you for inviting me to participate in this discussion today. I am pleased to be here to respond to your questions about how the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is implementing and enforcing border measures during the pandemic. I am here with Denis Vinette, Vice President of the Travellers Branch.

Since the start of the pandemic, the CBSA made its pandemic response a priority. To help keep Canadians safe and protected, the Government of Canada has put in place emergency border measures to limit the introduction and spread of COVID-19 and its variants in Canada.

CBSA Border Services Officers apply over 90 acts and regulations to safeguard Canadians. Over the last year, we have also implemented the provisions of 50 Orders in Council (OIC) that apply to foreign nationals and residents of Canada. The OICs are designed to restrict travel and establish public health requirements so we can reduce the spread of the virus into Canada. The measures have resulted in 96% less air traffic and a 90% drop in non-commercial traffic entering Canada by land, compared to pre-pandemic volumes.

It's important to point out that Canadian citizens, permanent residents and people registered as an Indian under the Indian Act have a right to enter Canada. However, all travellers seeking to enter Canada go through enhanced screening measures by CBSA Border Services Officers, and must meet testing and quarantine requirements to keep Canadians safe, unless they qualify as exempt.

Of course, some cross-border travel is necessary to maintain the flow of goods and services critical to our economy and our people. The majority of individuals crossing in vehicles at the land ports of entry are essential service providers, such as truck drivers and nurses. We must continue to strike a balance between keeping Canadians safe and keeping the economy running.

Data shows that Canada's pre-arrival, on-arrival and post-arrival testing requirements, and quarantine requirements, are working. For example, over 99% of travellers entering Canada have either complied with the pre-arrival testing requirement or were exempt from it.

The CBSA continues to work with other Government of Canada organizations on the pandemic response. Our Agency works in close cooperation with the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to implement and uphold the public health measures PHAC recommends at the border.

The last year has shown the CBSA is able to rapidly adapt its operations to put new processes, rules and orders in place. We are certain we will be able to continue to respond to new and evolving measures, including the potential use of proof of vaccination credentials to facilitate travel and manage the border.

Mr. Chair, since the beginning of the pandemic, we have supported the government's efforts to establish strong measures to secure Canada's borders and help prevent further introduction and transmission of COVID-19 and its variants into Canada. We have demonstrated our resolve and willingness to adjust restrictions based on scientific evidence.

I am very proud of the work CBSA officers have done, and will continue to do, to protect Canadians and the Canadian economy in the face of this pandemic.

I would be happy to respond to your questions.

Thank you.

Scenario note

The House of Commons Standing Committee on Health (HESA) invited the Deputy Minister of Public Safety to appear before the committee on the topic of recent COVID-19 developments.

Public Safety Canada has delegated the invitation to the CBSA to speak to some of the pandemic-related issues that the CBSA has taken on. The complete list of study topics and witnesses included in the Committee's enabling motion is as follows:

Study topics:

• Timeline for when all Canadians who want a vaccine can expect to be fully vaccinated
• Mixed vaccinations
• Communications on vaccinations
• Proof of vaccination status
• Pandemic border control measures
• Guidance for vaccinated individuals / benchmarking
• An update on the Johnson and Johnson vaccine

Witnesses invited:

• the Deputy Minister of Health Canada
• the Deputy Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
• the Deputy Minister of Public Services and Procurement
• the President of the Public Health Agency of Canada
• the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada
• the Vice President of Logistics and Operations for the Public Health Agency of Canada
• the head of the National Advisory Committee on Immunization

Background information

The CBSA has not appeared before HESA since the very early days of the COVID-19 response, in February 2020.

On May 14, 2021, HESA met at the request of its four Conservative Party of Canada members and adopted a motion including the study topics and witnesses invited (above).

HESA Members

Chair: Ron McKinnon - Liberal
Vice-Chair: Michelle Rempel Garner - Conservative
Vice-Chair: Luc Thériault - Bloc Québécois
John Barlow - Conservative
Don Davies - New Democratic Party
Chris d'Entremont - Conservative
Mike Kelloway - Liberal
Larry Maguire - Conservative
Jennifer O'Connell - Liberal
Marcus Powlowski - Liberal
Sonia Sidhu - Liberal
Tony Van Bynen - Liberal

General information

Date: Friday, May 21, 2021
Time: 11:00 am to 2:00 pm
Duration: Three hours
Location: Videoconference

Officials (to be confirmed)

Canada Border Services Agency

• John Ossowski, President
• Denis Vinette, Vice President, Travellers Branch

Health Canada

• Dr. Stephen Lucas, Deputy Minister

Public Health Agency of Canada

• Iain Stewart, President
• Dr. Theresa Tam, Chief Public Health Officer of Canada

Public Services and Procurement Canada

• Bill Matthews, Deputy Minister

National Advisory Committee on Immunization

• Dr. Matthew Tunis, Executive Secretary

Opening remarks

At the beginning of the meeting, the Chair will invite the witnesses to deliver opening remarks. Each witness will be given a maximum of five minutes to deliver their opening remarks, followed by questions from Committee members to all officials. The departments have determine that the order of presentation would be Health Canada, PHAC, and CBSA. PSPC is currently not scheduled to make opening remarks.

Rounds of questions

At the Chair's discretion, questions from committee members will proceed as follows:

• First round: Six minutes for the first questioner of each party as follows: Conservative Party, Liberal Party, Bloc Québécois, New Democratic Party
• Second and subsequent rounds: Conservative Party, five minutes, Liberal Party, five minutes, Bloc Québécois, two and a half minutes, New Democratic Party, two and a half minutes, Conservative Party, five minutes, Liberal Party, five minutes