Key information—Standing Committee on Public Accounts: Office of the Auditor General Audit on Pandemic Preparedness – Surveillance and Border Control Measure (April 20, 2021)

From the outset, the Government worked closely with provincial and local authorities to respond to the threats posed by the virus.

Our approach was developed using evidence-based and scientific advice, in consultation with public health experts and our internal staff.

Canada's response is based on existing plans and guidance related to pandemic preparedness, and on principles such as:

• Collaboration between all levels of government and stakeholders to produce an effective, coordinated response
• Informed decision-making that uses the best available evidence
• Appropriate and flexible responses that reflect the level of threat
• Timely and reasonable precautions that are proportional to the threat level and informed by evidence wherever possible
• Using established strategies and processes that can be rapidly ramped up
• Using ethical decision-making that reflects our society's values
• Coordinating our approach with the U.S. – federally and within border states

Yes. The CBSA looked back at H1N1 and Ebola to inform next steps during COVID-19 guidance and planning. Specifically, it used: 1) best practices and 2) lessons learned, including the gaps that were identified during the H1N1 and Ebola outbreaks.

The CBSA has a comprehensive review process. All health-related events are reviewed to summarize what happened, identify the challenges that arose, and produce recommendations for the future.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) Pandemic Guide produced in 2012 and updated in 2020, is grounded on guidance incorporated from the Canadian Pandemic Influenza Preparedness: Planning Guidance for the Health Sector (CPIP), issued by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) in 2014, which incorporates lessons learned from both the 2009 H1N1 pandemic as well as the SARS outbreak in 2003.

The 2020 version of the CBSA Pandemic Guide is aligned with Canada's triggers for action, has been consulted with PHAC and includes anticipated impacts to cross border traffic volumes and CBSA responsibilities.

The first CBSA pandemic guidance plan was developed in 2012. An update began in August 2019, to align it with the Canadian Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Planning Guidance for the Health Sector (CPIP).

In March 2020, CBSA's pandemic guidance plan was finalized and distributed with a pandemic plan that was specific to COVID-19.

The Agency used the high-level pandemic guidance plan to ground and support its COVID-19 efforts.

The CBSA is part of federal and regional exercises that deal with potential and emerging threats. When it comes to health situations at the border, these exercises occurred:

• once in 2018,
• 4 times in 2019, and
• 2 times in 2021.

Each time, the exercises included discussions on the Quarantine Act, human and animal pathogens, pandemics, and influenza.

The Government of Canada monitors COVID-19 developments on a daily basis, including prospective changes in border restrictions around the globe.

The CBSA also works closely with international partners such as the U.S. CBP, regulators such as the International Civil Aviation Organization as well as with industry to discuss border measures, emerging trends and various prospective reopening scenarios.

The information gathered by the CBSA and other federal partners constitutes one of the many factors taken into account by the Government in developing and adjusting Canada's own border measures.

These channels of communication have proven invaluable for the CBSA throughout the pandemic. Going forward, we will continue leveraging them.

To date, the CBSA and the Government of Canada have anchored border measures on the basis of the science and evidence. Given the success of this approach, I expect this to continue.

Although we may not control border reopenings around the world, the CBSA is actively undertaking capacity assessments and operational readiness exercises. These are performed under different volumetric models and different border reopening scenarios, at home and abroad.

This work will ensure that we continue to safeguard the health and safety of Canadians, all the while supporting the economy, including tourism.

If pressed on discussions with the U.S. on reopening the border

As part of the Prime Minister-President Roadmap for a Renewed U.S.-Canada Partnership, both countries agreed to take a coordinated approach based on science and public health criteria when considering measures to adjust Canada-U.S. border restrictions.

Senior officials from both countries have been in regular conversations regarding future adjustments, with the goal of coordinating our approach to the greatest extent possible.

Given a variant-driven rise in COVID cases domestically and internationally we have signalled that now is not the time to adjust our current border measures.

However, both countries have agreed that any move to adjust our restrictions in the future will be guided by public health risks and operational capacity at the border.

In the coming weeks we will continue to advance our dialogue with the U.S., taking into account the latest public health metrics to inform our decision-making.

Being an operational Agency, the CBSA has always been nimble and able to adjust to rapidly evolving circumstances.

Prior to start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CBSA had a high-level pandemic plan, which, as the Auditor General found in her report, assisted the CBSA in acting quickly to enforce the Emergency Orders relating to enhanced border measures.

As the pandemic has evolved, so has our plan.

For example, the CBSA has expanded its support to frontline Officers beyond the already existing operational guideline bulletins, 24/7 live support access and regular case reviews.

We have also supplemented support by conducting detailed technical briefings prior to the implementation of new or amended OICs, thereby supporting the accurate implementation of new provisions and ensuring clarity for frontline staff.

The CBSA's already strong relationship with PHAC prior to the pandemic has been further strengthened.

As such, the CBSA ability to implement new border measures, or adjust existing ones, is stronger than ever, proof of which came only a few weeks ago when we acted swiftly in tandem with partners to implement enhanced border screening measures related to the variant of concern having first been identified in Brazil.

Lastly, on the issue of exit controls, If the Government of Canada were to determine through its ongoing situational risk assessments that the implementation of an exit control scheme is necessary then the CBSA would be required to carefully review operations and reallocate from other areas.

As you may know, Border Services Officers continue to get regular operational guideline bulletins. The CBSA has also expanded its support to officers by:

• Issuing prompt bulletins when Orders in Council (OICs) are finalized and they are put into regulatory practice at border crossings
• Providing access to live, 24/7 support from headquarters on any operational questions
• Holding regional calls twice a week to highlight any concerns that may be arising from the operational side of business (if anything needs to be addressed, subsequent field guidance is sent to all regional staff)
• Regularly reviewing cases to ensure consistent decision-making is applied across all ports of entry

We are also giving detailed technical briefings for BSOs and relevant management before new or amended OICs are put in place.

The CBSA continues to monitor decisions made by officers at the border. When it comes to processing essential workers, a feedback loop has been put in place for specific regions or ports of entry that were experiencing unique situations. This feedback informs adjustments or reviews of the OICs. The CBSA is also developing another training tool to help frontline officers understand the complexities of OICs.

The CBSA and the Public Health Agency of Canada regularly discuss how OICs are interpreted and will continue to collaborate on improving them.

The CBSA has processes that allow recourse if travellers believe a decision by a screening officer was in error. This review can be done at the border at the time of entry by operational supervisors. There is also internal 24/7 guidance and support for frontline officers through the Border Task Force.

Scenarios of concern for are sent to the Border Task Force for review and guidance is provided when necessary.

The Public Health Agency of Canada is responsible for answering concerns about arrival (or pre-arrival) testing and Government Approved Accommodations. These types of concerns will be passed on to the PHAC quarantine officers on site or to their 24/7 internal call centre.

During the pandemic, the processing of items for commercial trade and the use of postal services grew. Our management team mobilized our frontline workforce to support these areas.

When COVID-19 travel restrictions started in March 2020, the CBSA increased the capacity of the Border Information Service (BIS) to provide travellers and commercial traders with telephone and email support to help them understand the new border measures. Their team of client service specialists was supplemented by the temporary reallocation of more than 40 Border Services Officers from locations where volumes of travellers had decreased due to COVID-19.

The CBSA prioritized the temporary redeployment of frontline personnel to handle increased commercial processing volumes at land, marine, air, postal and courier operations. Additional resources were redeployed to manage backlogs and further support mail, courier and enforcement and intelligence operations.

Early in the pandemic, the CBSA provided officers with training to address how to handle the changes that stem from COVID-19. We continue to provide them with updated information and instructions.

The CBSA has put effective protocols in place, such as PPE, to prevent the virus from spreading.

The CBSA's Employee Assistance Program (EAP) team of 16 professional clinicians are providing individual and group services to employees, leaders and teams (workshops/training/discussions).

We continue to post wellness resources on our dedicated COVID-19 Wellness intranet page.

BSOs review and consider each traveller's unique circumstances, the purpose of the trip, the documents presented at the time of entry. They also look at the requirements, exemptions, and exceptions set out in the official regulations.

It's up to the traveller to clearly demonstrate how they meet the required characteristics of an essential worker.

Individuals in the trade and transportation sector, regular cross-border workers, and essential workers that are returning to their homes are exempt from the requirement to quarantine.

Border officers can't exempt travellers from quarantine requirements based on how likely it is they have COVID-19 or based on their views about the client's travel history. There is no flexibility for BSOs in making quarantine calls.

It is now mandatory for travellers arriving in Canada by air or land to submit their information through ArriveCAN before travelling. This has improved our data integrity.

PHAC's presence at the ports of entry has grown, increasing the daily sharing of information and statistical data.

The CBSA is sharing daily metrics with PHAC and we are working together to analyze the data to ensure accuracy and consistency.

The CBSA works closely with PHAC as it develops border regulations and policies.

Personal information that is required from travellers entering Canada is collected three ways: the ArriveCAN mobile application, the ArriveCAN desktop application, and verbally to Border Services Officers at ports of entry. In the early days of the COVID pandemic, traveller information was also collected using paper forms.

The information collected from travellers includes basic contact and travel information, questions about their quarantine plan, and a COVID-19 symptom self-assessment.

Personal information required at the border is collected by Border Services Officers as a service to PHAC.

A privacy notice, which sets out the purpose of the collection and how the personal information will be used, disclosed, and shared, appears on the ArriveCAN mobile and desktop applications.

CBSA and PHAC have drafted an information-sharing agreement about the collection and disclosure of mandatory information collected from travellers to Canada under the Quarantine Act and in accordance with emergency orders. The agreement is in the late stages of development, and will be finalized this spring.

The CBSA continues to use privacy protocols and procedures when exchanging information with PHAC.

Personal private information is only shared on a need-to-know basis and protocols are in place to ensure the safe transfer of information.

A Border Services Officer may disclose personal information to a PHAC officer pursuant to section 8 of the Privacy Act and disclose customs information pursuant to section 107 of the Customs Act (which includes traveller history, date and time of traveller passages).

ArriveCAN was launched in April 2020 to support the capture of traveller contact information.

Usage rates have steadily increased and will continue to grow as travel volumes increase and mandatory online submission requirements are expanded beyond arrival by air and land.

To promote ArriveCAN, the Government of Canada launched a strong communication campaign in fall 2020 to make travellers aware of ArriveCAN and how it can lower border processing times.

Before ArriveCAN became mandatory for air travellers in November 2020, the usage rate was at 40%. The latest statistics show that 87% of air travellers now submit their information through ArriveCAN. Our data shows that 17% of people travelling by land are using ArriveCAN, but that rate is expected to jump since ArriveCAN became mandatory for land travellers in late March 2021.

Between July and November 2020, the Public Health Agency of Canada coordinated a multi-departmental communications campaign in preparation for mandatory digital submission requirements.

PHAC, with support from CBSA, developed stakeholder engagement kits to assist each department with promoting the ArriveCAN application. The approach was multi-pronged and employed diverse forms of communication, including direct engagement with key carriers and industry groups, members of trusted traveller programs, and social media posts.

Following the introduction of mandatory digital submission requirements for air travellers on November 21, 2020, the usage rate of ArriveCAN increased to 80% from 61% the week prior. To date, 87% of travellers submit via ArriveCAN in the air mode.

More recently, with the expansion of mandatory submission requirements to land mode, the CBSA is now actively working with Government partners to increase uptake through industry partners.

Recent ArriveCAN usage rates are encouraging, with an increase to 17% of land travellers now submitting via ArriveCAN from 2 to 4% originally.

CBSA continues to explore opportunities to increase ArriveCAN's visibility as the optimal way to submit contact, travel and quarantine information.

If pressed on ArriveCAN enforcement at land POEs

Where travellers have not submitted their contact information in advance of arriving at a port of entry via air, they are given a notice of non-compliance by the BSO.  Although they are subject to the same requirements, travellers arriving via land are not issued this non-compliance form at this time. Furthermore, any subsequent decision with respect to proceeding with an enforcement action against these travellers is the responsibility of PHAC. The CBSA has no role in particular process.

PHAC is responsible for the enforcement and compliance regime related to travellers' legal obligations under the applicable Orders in Council.

Border Services Officers provide instructions to each traveller with regard to their obligation to quarantine. They can also require that travellers show their quarantine plans, and can refer travellers to a quarantine officer for further assessment if the plan is not suitable.

BSOs do not have discretion when it comes to the application of quarantine requirements. If a BSO is concerned that a traveller who is obligated to quarantine may not comply, they then notify PHAC and the RCMP.

In accordance with federal and provincial health authorities' vaccination plans, BSOs are scheduled to receive the vaccine at the same time as other frontline essential workers across the country who can't work virtually and have direct close physical contact with the public.

The CBSA continues to work with the provincial authorities by providing employee listings and work locations to ensure front line employees are prioritized to receive the vaccine.

Border services officers have stood on the frontline of this pandemic since the Government of Canada began to implement new public health measures March 2020.

The CBSA works in close collaboration with federal partners such as PHAC and Transport Canada as well as with airlines and airport authorities to administer the provisions of the emergency OICs, at every step of the travel continuum.

At airports around the world, the CBSA, Transport Canada and airlines work together to ensure that travellers complete a health check and possess a valid PCR test, prior to boarding.

When a traveller presents themselves at the border, either land or air, CBSA Officers are diligent in verifying that all applicable public health measures are applied, without exception.

This includes verifying that they do not have any COVID-19 symptoms, possess proof of a negative PCR test 72 hours prior to entering Canada, and ensuring travellers have an acceptable quarantine plan, including a stay at the Government Approved Accommodation if arriving be air.

If the Officers have even the slightest doubt regarding a traveller's health or whether or not any portion of the emergency orders are met, they are immediately referred to a PHAC Quarantine Officer, without exception.

Key statistics (As of April 13, 2021)

• The CBSA has referred 1,337 travellers to PHAC on account of a BSO identifying them as being as a potential case of concern
  • Of these, 543 have been in the air mode and 794 have been in the land mode
• The CBSA has referred 23,799 asymptomatic travellers to PHAC for not having a suitable accommodation to quarantine
  • Of these 14,982 have been in the in air mode and 8,817 have been in the land mode
• The CBSA has referred 7,383 travellers to PHAC for not demonstrating a pre-arrival test result (COVID-19 molecular test)
  • Of these 4,230 have been in the in air mode and 3,153 have been in the land mode
• The CBSA has referred 10,665 travellers to PHAC for not having reserved a GAA
• 99.35% of air travellers have complied with the pre-arrival testing requirement or were exempt
• 99.70% of land travellers have complied with the pre-arrival testing requirement or were exempt

Although essential services providers are exempt from some of the measures outlined within the emergency OICs, BSOs are equally diligent in their interactions with these travellers as with all others.

Exempt travellers remain subject to a mandatory public health screening and the submission of mandatory contact information via ArriveCAN as part of the border crossing process.

Additionally, certain categories of exempt travellers, such as technicians or specialists travelling to inspect, repair, maintain or install equipment in support of Canada's critical infrastructure, are still subject to pre-arrival testing, despite their quarantine exemption.

As designated screening officers under the Quarantine Act, BSOs have the authority to review and question, a traveller's statements and direct them to a PHAC quarantine officer.

Furthermore, BSOs question and observe travellers for any indication that they may be ill.

If the Officers have any concerns regarding a traveller's health, they are immediately referred to a PHAC Quarantine Officer.

Once admitted into Canada, the responsibility to monitor and/or track individuals from a public health perspective shifts to PHAC and provincial health authorities.

Key statistics (As of April 13, 2021)

• The CBSA has referred 23,799 asymptomatic travellers to PHAC for not having a suitable accommodation to quarantine
  • Of these 14,982 have been in the in air mode and 8,817 have been in the land mode

As of April 16, 2021, 246 BSOs have tested positive for COVID-19, 213 have since recovered. There are currently 33 active cases.

The CBSA is responsible for implementing the public health Orders in Council that apply at the border. The CBSA relies on the advice and health expertise of the Public Health Agency of Canada for the application of the travel restrictions.

The CBSA has taken steps to ensure that the travel restrictions are understood by industry and stakeholders. To that end, the CBSA has developed multiple information documents for industry, including documents specific to the auto industry, and conducted a number of technical briefings with industry representatives and stakeholders.

We continue to work with the automotive manufacturing sector and other industries to better understand the impact of the public health border measures in order to provide them with greater certainty and predictability going forward as the Government continues to work to strike the right balance to meet the need of the industries while protecting the health and safety of Canadians.

If pressed on essential service providers

Auto workers who need to cross the border regularly for work purposes have been able to do so since the measures were put in place. The auto industry is now looking for exemptions from public health mitigation measures, including quarantine for example, for broader range of employees, and we are looking into that possibility with PHAC.

While the existing CPHO exemptions to public health measures already apply to auto industry employees, it is prescriptive in terms of the type of work, immediacy of that work, and regularity with which they need to cross in order to meet the exemption.

As I mentioned in my opening remarks, the times that officers err in their decision-making are isolated incidents.

What I wish to stress is that we have a system in place for continual improvement.

Our monitoring process looks for trends where travellers may have sought recourse in decisions taken at the border, so that we may investigate further and ensure guidance to officers and related training are clear and robust.

We are committed to supporting our officers in their complex work, and will enhance our ability to do so through the measures I outlined today.

Drivers should be submitting ArriveCan, if they do not an email notification of the requirement is sent from PHAC to the traveller informing them of the regulations.

There have been no known PHAC enforcement actions taken to date on someone who has not used ArriveCan. Instead, several measures are in play to encourage travellers and incentivize them to use ArriveCan.

An alternate process has been approved through PHAC that truck drivers only needed to submit ArriveCan once for multiple trips. This measure is currently in the process of being implemented.

Since the start of the pandemic, the CBSA has moved rapidly to support its BSOs at every phase of the border clearance process, starting well before a traveller ever arrives at the border.

CBSA is developing an Order in Council (OIC) introductory lesson plan, to be implemented in the Officer Induction Training Program (OITP) at Rigaud. The implementation date is currently scheduled for July 5, 2021.

The OIC lesson material provides recruits a concise high-level overview of what an OIC is, and why it is important to BSOs.

Additionally, a learning product is being developed for frontline BSOs, which conveys the same information and will be made available online in June 2021.

The CBSA is also revisiting its supplementary tools, such as quick reference guides and technical briefings for June 2021.

• Quick reference guides will be reviewed to determine if they can be improved or simplified
• Technical briefings, will be recorded and made available to all staff through internal networks

Other support tools are being explored:

• OIC application video: videos describing how to apply the OIC in very clear terms in order maximize retention and clarify application of rules
• Downloadable learning scenarios: Access to self-quizzes showing the top scenarios that have caused inconsistent application of the OICs