Question Period Note: COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH RAPID SURGE CAPACITY

• How is the Government of Canada assisting jurisdictions with surge capacity needs?

KEY MESSAGES
• The Government of Canada’s top priority remains protecting the health and safety of Canadians from the COVID-19 virus and variants of concern.
• Canada has been working across federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal governments to support a collaborative, whole-of-government response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• As part of our ongoing support to provinces and territories, we have established a COVID-19 Public Health Rapid Surge Capacity initiative.
• This initiative is complemented by the Safe Restart Agreements, which provide provinces and territories with over $19 billion in federal investments to support:
o Health care system capacity;
o Outbreak management, testing, contact tracing; and
o Other social services to support Canadians.

• The Government of Canada has recently established the Health Human Resources Assistance Program. The HHRAP will provide up to $20 million per provincial/territorial jurisdiction in support of their deployment of resources to other jurisdictions in need.
IF PRESSED ON SUPPORT GIVEN TO PROVINCES/TERRITORIES…
• Provinces and territories are responsible for prioritizing requests from their local jurisdictions.
• The Government of Canada triages requests received based on the needs and capacity available at the time of the request.
• We are currently providing support in the form of testing supplies and equipment to all provinces and territories.
• We remain engaged with all provinces and territories on their ongoing needs.
• Our current support includes:
o Approximately 153 Canadian Red Cross personnel deployed to address outbreaks or to provide emergency testing sites, from a roster of about 1,450 available personnel. This roster will continue to increase in size over the coming months.
o Six federal labs to supplement testing capacity.
o Supplying laboratory and testing equipment to all provinces and territories.
o Processing approximately 5,800 calls a day to assist with contact tracing.
o Committing $113 million for safe voluntary isolation sites across the country.

o Providing access to federal staffing inventories to assist provinces and territories in hiring the personnel they need.
• In addition, the federal government has over 100 subject matter experts ready for rapid deployment to assist provinces and territories with assessing local outbreaks.
• The Government of Canada has also committed $35 million for the Canadian Red Cross to supplement testing.
• The Fall 2020 Economic Statement committed a further $150 million to support the Canadian Red Cross and other non-governmental organizations with enhancing their surge capacity workforce for Canada’s COVID-19 response.
• The Government of Canada is also continuously working to secure critical personal protective equipment, as well as medical equipment and supplies, and expedite the delivery of this equipment to our frontline healthcare workers.

IF PRESSED ON GOVERNMENT WIDE SUPPORT GIVEN TO SUPPORT SURGE CAPACITY NEEDS IN ONTARIO…
• We have been working closely with our Ontario partners to share expertise and best practices and to provide support to augment the province’s capacities to respond.
• The Public Health Agency of Canada has provided biomedical equipment to Ontario to support capacity in acute care settings.
• Equipment such as CardioHelp systems, oxygen units, and ECMO systems to oxygenate blood, among others, have been delivered by the Agency to support Ontario in providing medical care.
• The Government of Canada has also deployed 2 mobile health units to provide additional support to hospitals in some of the hardest hit regions.
• Ontario has accessed the federal stock of treatments and therapeutics as well, to supplement their own supply.
• The Government of Canada through the support of the Canadian Armed Forces, is providing logistical and local coordination support to the Ornge vaccination program in remote First Nation communities in Northern Ontario.

IF PRESSED ON COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH RAPID SURGE CAPACITY INITIATIVE SUPPORT GIVEN TO SUPPORT ONTARIO…
• Our current support for Ontario with this initiative includes:
• Approximately 46 Canadian Red Cross (CRC) personnel deployed to address outbreaks or to provide emergency testing sites, from a roster of about 1,450 available personnel. CRC is currently supporting Ontario with Epidemic Prevention and Control training and support.
• Federal laboratory support to supplement testing capacity – almost 17,000 samples have been processed in support of Northern Ontario.
• $73 million committed for safe voluntary isolation sites in Ontario for fifteen active sites in nine communities: Toronto, Peel Region, Ottawa, Waterloo, Durham Region, York Region, Windsor-Essex, Thunder Bay, and Sault Ste. Marie. Requests from other jurisdictions have also been received and are under review.
• 300 federal government contact tracers are assigned to Ontario and make an average of 700-800 calls per day.

IF PRESSED ON COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH RAPID SURGE CAPACITY INITIATIVE SUPPORT GIVEN TO SUPPORT ALBERTA…

• The Public Health Agency of Canada is working with Alberta to offer surge support assistance to address their needs, including rapid testing through the National Microbiology Laboratory.
• The Public Health Agency of Canada is also working with Health Canada and Indigenous Services Canada to meet the needs of Indigenous populations, such as vaccination and testing.

IF PRESSED ON GOVERNMENT WIDE SUPPORT GIVEN TO SUPPORT SURGE CAPACITY NEEDS IN MANITOBA…
• We have been working closely with our Manitoba partners to offer federal supports such as various health human resources, air assets and air medical human resources through the Canadian Armed Forces and additional public health supports for First Nations in Manitoba.
• We have deployed federal nurses, as well as Canadian Red Cross critical care nurses.
• The Canadian Armed Forces has also deployed general nurses, medical technicians, medical officers, a medical surgeon, and air evacuation specialists.
• The Public Health Agency of Canada is actively working with the Government of Manitoba on safe voluntary isolation sites in Winnipeg, Brandon, and other communities across the province.

IF PRESSED ON COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH RAPID SURGE CAPACITY INITIATIVE SUPPORT GIVEN TO SUPPORT MANITOBA…
• The Public Health Agency of Canada is working with Manitoba to offer surge support assistance, including lab testing assistance through the National Microbiology Laboratory and Canadian Armed Forces, and epidemiologists to support outbreak management and analysis.
• An additional 50 contact tracers are being provided to the province of Manitoba, for a total of up to 120 Statistics Canada employees, to help trace people who have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

IF PRESSED ON SAFE VOLUNTARY ISOLATION SITES SUPPORT FOR TIMMINS, ONTARIO…
• The Safe Voluntary Isolation Sites Program is being offered by the Public Health Agency of Canada as part of the COVID-19 Public Health Rapid Surge Capacity Initiative.
• The Safe Voluntary Isolation Sites Program helps address the needs of the most at-risk populations and the efforts of provincial and territorial public health partners in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The Public Health Agency of Canada is actively working with the Cochrane District Social Services Administrative Board to review their funding request to create safe voluntary isolation sites in Cochrane, Timmins and the surrounding communities.

BACKGROUND
Through the COVID-19 Public Health Rapid Surge Capacity initiative, rapid response surge capacity is being offered for potential deployments across Canada, including rural and remote locations as well as Indigenous communities.

Under this initiative, the Government of Canada has developed eight fields to respond:
• Public Health Rapid Response Team;
• Outbreak Management and Vaccine Support;
• COVID-19 Patient Testing;
• Laboratory Services;
• Laboratory Equipment;
• Contact Tracing;
• Safe Voluntary Isolation Sites; and
• Human Resources Recruitment.
The initiative leverages federal resources as well as the existing Public Safety Canada contribution arrangement with the Canadian Red Cross (CRC).
The Government of Canada is also continuously working to secure critical personal protective equipment (PPE), as well as medical equipment and supplies. Canada is receiving a steady supply of PPE with shipments arriving daily, and the inventory is rapidly allocated to the provinces and territories. More information on the Government’s efforts in this area can be found in the “National Emergency Strategic Stockpile Management and Personal Protective Equipment and Medical Device Procurement” QP note.

Through the COVID-19 Public Health Rapid Surge Capacity initiative, rapid response surge capacity is being offered for potential deployments across Canada, including rural and remote locations as well as Indigenous communities.

Under this initiative, the Government of Canada has developed eight fields to respond:
• Public Health Rapid Response Team;
• Outbreak Management and Vaccine Support;
• COVID-19 Patient Testing;
• Laboratory Services;
• Laboratory Equipment;
• Contact Tracing;
• Safe Voluntary Isolation Sites; and
• Human Resources Recruitment.
The initiative leverages federal resources as well as the existing Public Safety Canada contribution arrangement with the Canadian Red Cross (CRC). The Government of Canada is also continuously working to secure critical personal protective equipment (PPE), as well as medical equipment and supplies. Canada is receiving a steady supply of PPE with shipments arriving daily, and the inventory is rapidly allocated to the provinces and territories. More information on the Government’s efforts in this area can be found in the “National Emergency Strategic Stockpile Management and Personal Protective Equipment and Medical Device Procurement” QP note.

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