Question Period Note: COVID Posture and Preparedness

• The SARS-CoV-2 virus will continue to circulate and evolve worldwide for the foreseeable future. PHAC continues to work in collaboration with the WHO, international partners, provinces and territories, and health care organizations to transition critical emergency response activities to longer-term, sustainable COVID-19 prevention, control, and management.

• Protecting the health and safety of Canadians remains a top priority for the Government of Canada and this includes ensuring preparedness for future pandemics and global health events.
• The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that a collaborative response is crucial to address public health threats and to keep Canadians safe.
• Investments made during the pandemic have increased Canada’s ability to plan for and respond to viral respiratory threats and other public health emergencies.
IF PRESSED ON WORK BEING DONE ON PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE TO LESSONS LEARNED
• The Government of Canada is taking all lessons learned into account to be prepared for potential future pandemics. These efforts will build on significant investments made in response to COVID-19. We are committed to continue working together with the provinces and territories towards a sustainable and integrated approach to public health that will promote health, prevent disease and better protect Canadians against future public health threats.
• In 2022, we announced the creation of a Centre for Research on Pandemic Preparedness and Health Emergencies at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to develop and mobilize health research for pandemic and health emergency preparedness, prevention, response, and recovery.
• During the COVID-19 pandemic, to address the lack of available domestic manufacturing capacity, we invested $1.2B to re-build Canada’s vaccine, therapeutics and biomanufacturing capacity right here at home. In 2021, we doubled-down on progress made to provide $2.2B toward implementing the Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy, made up of five pillars including strong and coordinated governance, strengthening research systems and talent pipeline, continued growth in the domestic biomanufacturing supply chain, building public capacity including the Biologics Manufacturing Centre (BMC), and enabling innovation by ensuring work class regulation.
• On February 23, 2024, Moderna announced the completion of a state-of-the-art mRNA vaccine manufacturing facility in Laval, Quebec, to strengthen the domestic biomanufacturing sector and pandemic preparedness.
• In 2021, the Public Health Agency of Canada established the Centre for Integrated Risk Assessment to bolster the Agency’s public health risk assessment capacity to anticipate, detect, and assess potential public health risks to Canadians.
• Our National Emergency Strategic Stockpile (NESS) is well stocked and we continue to engage with our provincial and territorial partners on developing a comprehensive management plan that will provide a roadmap for systematic and agile transformation of the NESS.
• PHAC continues to monitor vaccination coverage using reports from provinces and territories and surveys. During the COVID-19 vaccination campaign, PHAC and its provincial and territorial partners were able to ramp up the Canadian COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage Surveillance System (CCVCSS) to monitor and report weekly on COVID-19 vaccination coverage, so we would be able to do the same should a new mass vaccination campaign be necessary.
• The Public Health Agency of Canada will continue to work with federal, provincial, and territorial partners to improve our collective governance and work on the development of shared priorities, such as modernizing the health system with data and digital tools

IF PRESSED ON THE GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH INGELLIENCE NETWORK (GPHIN)
• PHAC has created a plan to respond to all 36 recommendations proposed by the GPHIN Independent Review Panel in May 2021, aiming for full implementation by March 2025, while also addressing recommendations outlined in the Auditor General Report concerning GPHIN.
• The Public Health Agency of Canada has already achieved tangible improvements in various aspects of GPHIN, including its online platform and products, investing in workforce development, vision, mission, and mandate, as well as subscriber outreach efforts.
• The Public Health Agency of Canada has also improved the functions of the Global Public Health Intelligence Network (GPHIN) by improving GPHIN reporting, strengthening collaboration with provincial, territorial and international partners, and modernizing the GPHIN platform.
IF PRESSED ON EXISTING PREPAREDNESS FRAMEWORKS AND PLANS
• The Auditor General recognized that the Public Health Agency of Canada had developed plans to guide a response to a pandemic and building on this, updated plans should incorporate lessons learned.
• In October 2023, a revised Health Portfolio Emergency Response Plan (HP ERP) was published, which incorporates learnings from COVID-19 and other public health emergencies. The Agency tested the revised Plan and its preparedness posture to the Avian Influenza H5Nx in October 2023.
• The Agency continues to test and adapt its emergency management plans and processes informed by lessons learned, through exercises including Exercise ‘H5Nx Vigilance 2023’ for avian influenza, and Exercise “Fire and Lightning 2024” in preparation for the 2024 wildfire season, as well as through real public health events such as the outbreak of mpox, and the 2023 wildfire season.
• Lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic response and other recent public health events are informing Canada’s ongoing preparedness and response, including the need to revitalize and expand pandemic preparedness planning for Canada by leveraging the Canadian Pandemic Influenza Preparedness: Planning Guidance for the Health Sector (CPIP) and lessons learned to develop Canada’s Pandemic Preparedness Plan (CPPP). Consultations are complete and work towards Canada’s Pandemic Preparedness plan has been initiated.
• The Agency is working with partners, including the provinces and territories, to incorporate lessons and practical application from the COVID-19 experience, among others, to support a robust approach to emergency management for future health emergencies.
IF PRESSED ON WASTEWATER SURVEILLANCE

• The Public Health Agency of Canada worked in collaboration with other federal departments, and provincial, territorial, and municipal governments as well as academic partners to establish a pan-Canadian wastewater surveillance network for timely detection and monitoring of viral signals as well as emerging COVID-19 variants of interest and concern.
• Wastewater surveillance in Canada currently covers approximately 50% of the Canadian population on a sewer system. Data from this program has successfully detected new and emerging COVID-19 variants circulating in Canadian communities and continues to monitor COVID-19 trends, which has been critical to informing public health responses. In addition to the COVID-19 pathogen data, the national wastewater database now includes data for other pathogens such as Influenza, RSV, and mpox.
• The Agency continues to track and compare COVID-19 levels in some large urban centers and northern, remote, and isolated communities across Canada.
• The Agency and its partners have also established a pilot project at three Canadian airports to sample wastewater from airport terminals and pooled aircraft wastewater depots to monitor for new or emerging COVID-19 variants coming into Canada from various regions of the world.

While the world continues to learn and apply lessons learned for the management of COVID-19, countries are working to maintain the significant gains that have been made during the past 4 years.

De-Escalation of COVID-19 Operations within Canada

• Following the Omicron-driven maximum peak in January 2022, COVID-19 activity declined and the previous pattern of distinct waves of infection began to subside. All provinces and territories shifted public health priorities to focus on a more sustainable response for the long-term management of COVID-19 in Canada that includes integrating COVID-19 activities into the overall management of respiratory viral infections and continued efforts to build pandemic preparedness capacity and resilience for any future emergencies.
• Provinces and territories have de-escalated many public health measures recommendations and requirements and reduced surveillance and laboratory testing capacities specific to COVID-19. At the same time, all provinces and territories are ensuring the availability of preventative measures such as COVID-19 vaccines, and continue to monitor changes to COVID-19's epidemiology.
• Canada continues to comprehensively monitor COVID-19 activity while continuing to integrate the surveillance approach across respiratory viruses.
• Access to COVID19 vaccine supply has been assured for 2024-25 through our existing Advance Purchase Agreements (APA), with regulatory approved updated vaccines formulated to circulating strains anticipated to be a threat this coming fall, providing continued protection for at-risk populations.

Activity on PMB C-293: An Act Respecting Pandemic Prevention and Preparedness

• Bill C-293 was studied by HESA in October 2023, and reported back to the House of Commons on October 27 without substantive discussion having taken place. The House of Commons is expected to have an opportunity to examine the Bill and will potentially consider amendments, in advance of third reading.

UPDATE ON BUDGET PROPOSAL

• Budget 2024 announced $18.2 million over five years and $3.7 million a year ongoing to stabilize funding for the Travelling Public Program (TPP).
• The TPP is important in mitigating public health risks to protect the health of people travelling into and out of Canada by preventing the introduction and spread of communicable diseases. Officers are responsible for conducting inspections and overseeing the provision of safe food and potable water, as well as maintenance of appropriate sanitation levels on passenger conveyances and their ancillary industries such as flight kitchens and food caterers.

• As expected, SARS-CoV-2 has been co-circulating with other respiratory viruses such as seasonal influenza (flu) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) this fall/winter. COVID-19 activity has not yet demonstrated an observable seasonal trend.
• Nationally, most COVID-19 indicators continue to slowly decrease or remain at low levels and national test percent positivity has been decreasing since mid-December 2023.
• Recent international reports indicate that COVID-19 activity continues to decrease in the US, Europe, and UK.
• As with other health emergencies, the unpredictable nature of infectious disease pandemics necessitates ongoing action to support prevention and preparedness. Therefore, Canada’s response, which includes vaccination programs, the promotion of personal protective measures, and continued efforts to expand pandemic preparedness capacity and medical countermeasures supply strategies, will need to continue to adapt.