Appearance of the Deputy Minister of Health before the Standing Committee on Health on Coronavirus

Table of contents

  1. Copy of PHAC Material
  2. Health Canada Material

Meeting scenario

The first part of the meeting will be the election of the Chair of HESA (we expect this to take 5 minutes or less). We expect that the Committee will then move to the briefing on coronavirus.

The President of PHAC and CPHO will be attending. We expect that the President will make about seven minutes of opening remarks and the rest of the meeting will be used to answer questions from HESA members.

It is our understanding as of close of business Tuesday January 28, that deputy heads for CBSA and GAC will appear at the Monday February 3 HESA meeting to provide a briefing on their roles in the coronavirus outbreak.

Qs and As
2019 Novel Coronavirus
Occupational Health Advice and Guidance for Federal Employees

What guidance has been provided to federal public servants?

Health Canada is responsible for providing occupational health and safety advice to federal departments.

We have issued a general Occupational Health Advisory for departments and agencies (January 22) which reflects the advice we have provided Canadians including:

Given the variety of work settings of federal personnel, Health Canada has also provided supplemental advisories with recommendations pertaining to specific places of work.

What about federal employees working at airports?

Health Canada has worked with the Canada Border Services Agency to provide more detailed information about what personal protective equipment to use when working in proximity to travellers.

Information sessions have been delivered to over 600 border service officers at the key airports.

What steps have been taken with respect to employees at the Canadian Mission in China?

Advice and guidance specific for those serving at Canada’s mission is China have ben developed with Global Affairs.

All of this advice will be updated if required as the situation evolves.

Missions in China

Occupational Health Advisory: Novel Coronavirus at Missions in China
Public Service Occupational Health Program (PSOHP)

As of 28 January 2020

In addition to the above noted general information and recommendations, for those working at missions in China by the Novel Coronavirus, the following precautions/recommendations apply.

Recommendations

For all individuals working at missions in China

To reduce your risk of getting ill:

For anyone who may be working directly with visitors at mission

At designated entrances, prior to any visitor interaction, signage will be available to remind all visitors that if presenting with symptoms (fever, cough, difficulty breathing) they are not to enter the mission/facility. Continue to work with your mission security department to coordinate these efforts.

Personal protective equipment

PSOHP recommends the use of the following personal protective equipment (PPE) and emergency supplies when interacting with a visitor to the mission:

If you or a family member is feeling ill

If you or a family member is feeling ill with symptoms of a respiratory illness (fever, cough, difficulty breathing), do not go to work and advise your supervisor. See the following link for more information on the Novel Coronavirus infection:

Avoid contact with others and contact the Emergency Watch and Response Centre at + 1-613-996-8885.

Occupational Health Advisory: Novel Coronavirus

Public Service Occupational Health Program (PSOHP), Health Canada

As of 24 January 2020

Please note that this advice may change as more information becomes available.

Purpose

To provide federal employees with occupational health advice in relation to the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).

Novel Coronavirus

Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.

Common signs of infection with a coronavirus include fever and respiratory symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, kidney failure and even death.

So far there has been limited human to human transmission of this novel coronavirus.

Given the evolving status of this disease outbreak, please refer to the following link for up-to-date information:

General Precautions

Standard precautions for all federal employees include:

  1. Frequent hand hygiene is important.
  2. Hands must be washed each time gloves are changed or discarded.
  3. Wash hands before preparing, handling, serving or eating food.
  4. Avoid touching your face, mouth, nose and eyes with unwashed or gloved hands.
  5. Practice proper cough and sneeze etiquette. Cover your mouth and nose with your arm to reduce the spread of germs. Remember if you use a tissue, to dispose of it as soon as possible and wash your hands afterwards.
  6. Federal employees should self-monitor for symptoms. If an employee develops fever and respiratory symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath and/or difficulty breathing they should seek medical attention and report these symptoms to their occupational health and safety department.

Contact Information

If there are any questions or concerns regarding this advisory and/or your present health status, please consult with the occupational health and safety resource personnel within your department.

For psychosocial support for federal workers, contact your department’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

Annexes

Given that employees of the core public administration work in a variety of settings domestically and internationally, this General Advisory will be supplemented by annexes with information and recommendations pertaining to specific places of work (for example, airports).

References

Annex A: Airports of Entry – As of 27 January 2020
Annex B: Missions in China – As of 28 January 2020

Annex A - Airports

Occupational Health Advisory: Novel Coronavirus at Airports of Entry
Public Service Occupational Health Program (PSOHP)

As of 27 January 2020

In addition to the above noted general information recommendations, for federal employees working at airports of entry, the following precautions/recommendations apply.

Recommendations

PSOHP offers the following recommendations for federal workers who may be working with travelers:

Personal protective equipment (PPE)

Federal workers should follow standard precautions as per their departmental occupational health and safety program.

PSOHP recommends the use of the following PPE:

All staff should be trained on the correct technique and sequence for putting on (donning) and taking off (doffing) their PPE. Advice from your departmental occupational health and safety personnel is recommended in regards to the choice and use of PPE.

Please consult your department’s standard operating procedures for further guidance on the management of individuals who have been identified as requiring follow-up by a quarantine officer.

TO: All employees

FROM:

SUBJECT: Information about 2019 novel coronavirus

I am writing to provide employees with information related to the 2019 novel coronavirus (referred to as 2019-nCoV), which was first identified in Wuhan, China, in late December 2019.

Since then, the Public Health Agency of Canada has been working with international partners, including the World Health Organization, provincial and territorial counterparts, and other federal departments and agencies to monitor and respond to this evolving situation.

As you know, Canada has identified cases of coronavirus. This was not unexpected and reflects that our health systems are on alert and taking appropriate steps to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus in Canada. Our healthcare system is well prepared to handle the virus and the risk to Canadians continues to be low.

Health Canada’s Public Service Occupational Health Program (PSOHP) has issued a general advisory to federal employees. It advises employees to continue to take general precautions to reduce their risk of infection, such as washing their hands often with soap and water, coughing or sneezing into their arm or tissue, avoiding touching their eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands, and avoiding close contact with people who are sick. The PSOHP continues to work with federal departments and agencies to provide occupational health advice for federal employees working at points of entry (e.g., airports) and other key workplace settings.

[Departments to insert organization-specific messaging as required]

Since this is an evolving situation, visit Canada.ca/coronavirus for the latest information. You can also follow Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, on Twitter for up-to-date information.

Thank you.

FPT Meetings - 2019-n-CoV
Date Meeting Summary/Topics
January 14, 2020 Council of Chief Medical Officers of Health Members discussed the emergence of pneumonia clusters in China and the current state of domestic readiness.
January 23, 2020 Council of Chief Medical Officers of Health Members discussed the current situation of the 2019-n-CoV, as well as the risk communications and case definition.
January 24, 2020 Health Ministers' Meeting Minister Hajdu and Dr. Theresa Tam provided an update on the current situation of the 2019-n-CoV. PT ministers were able to ask questions to Dr.Tam and Minister Hajdu.
January 28, 2020 Special Advisory Committee on 2019 Novel Coronavirus This will be the first meeting of the Special Advisory Committee on 2019 Novel Coronavirus. The discussion will focus on governance, domestic readiness and updates on the current situation of the 2019-n-CoV.
January 29, 2020 Council of Deputy Ministers of Health DM Lucas and Dr. Theresa Tam will provide an update on the current situation of the 2019-n-CoV. PTs DMs will have the opportunity to provide updates for their jurisdictions.
January 30, 2020 Health Ministers' Meeting Minister Hajdu and Dr. Theresa Tam will provide an update on the current situation of the 2019-n-CoV.
January 30, 2020 Special Advisory Committee on 2019 Novel Coronavirus Members will continue discussions on domestic planning and response and updates on the current situation of the 2019-n-CoV.

Deputy Minister’s notes for the HESA Committee meeting concerning the Health Canada regulatory response to the novel strain of coronavirus (2019-nCoV)

Collaborative efforts

Preventive and treatment options

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