Senator Batters: Senator Gold, I am proudly triple vaccinated and I promoted vaccination and COVID health measures widely throughout the pandemic. The vast majority of Canadians are vaccinated as well.

Now we are at a point in this pandemic where some measures that were put into place are no longer necessary. Even Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, Theresa Tam, has said vaccine mandates need to be re-examined. The time for freedom is now. Why won’t this Trudeau government follow the provinces and our international allies and end federal vaccine mandates and restrictions? Is it just more of this Prime Minister’s desire for authoritarian control?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate) moved second reading of Bill C-10, An Act respecting certain measures related to COVID-19.

He said: Honourable senators, I am pleased to rise as the Senate sponsor for Bill C-10, An Act respecting certain measures related to COVID-19.

Unfortunately, COVID-19 continues to have a significant impact on the lives of all Canadians due to the emergence of the Omicron variant. It continues to remain an unparalleled threat to the health, social and economic well-being of Canadians and indeed of the global community.

Therefore, our government, the Government of Canada, has an obligation to ensure that the health care system, including its medical practitioners and emergency service providers, are properly equipped to respond to COVID-19. This includes the identification and treatment of the virus through effective testing capacity.

As such, I believe that it is important that the Senate consider this legislation in a timely and effective manner.

I would like to reiterate and underline why I believe passing Bill C-10 is an urgent priority and why it should receive our due consideration.

There is no disputing that COVID-19 testing and screening have helped immeasurably to accelerate the country’s ability to recover and move out of the pandemic. Bill C-10 provides the necessary funding so that tests are in the hands of any and all Canadians who want to use them. It will ensure that federal, provincial and territorial distribution programs can provide these tests to health care providers, long-term care residents, teachers and students and the broader population. These tests are a tool to enable Canadians to independently manage their testing needs.

Testing has been a way to empower Canadians by providing them with the ability to determine whether they have COVID-19 and to take any and all additional steps to minimize transmission to others.

Through Bill C-10, the Minister of Health will have the statutory authority to purchase and distribute up to $2.5-billion worth of COVID-19 rapid tests for distribution across the country. These are critical to the ongoing response to the pandemic.

Testing and screening remain a vital component of Canada’s response to COVID-19 and the ongoing observance of critical public health measures. The government supported the testing regime from the beginning. It was an information source for those possibly infected, and it was a data source so that governments and health authorities could look ahead and plan the most optimal responses.

In the fall of 2020, the federal government provided provinces and territories with $3 billion in direct transfers through the Safe Restart Agreement to increase Canada’s testing and contact-tracing capacity in support of the provincial and territorial efforts.

The government also invested $1.28 billion to support testing, contact tracing and data management initiatives. This funding included $906.2 million that the Public Health Agency of Canada used to procure 92 million tests between October 2020 and November 2021. The vast majority of these tests were distributed to provinces and territories to use in their respective efforts to combat COVID-19.

In the winter of 2021, in order to optimize its portion of the Safe Restart Agreement, Health Canada made funding available under three streams: innovative testing, contact tracing and data management.

On the testing innovation front, the government funded clinical trials and pilots relating to self-testing, expansion of waste water surveillance and the use of innovative technologies. Specific projects included use of point-of-care tests in long-term care and pediatric emergency departments, waste water surveillance of congregated living settings and waste water surveillance at airports.

To support the widest possible availability of approved COVID-19 tests, Health Canada established a streamlined process for the review and approval of new medical devices in its role as the regulator. It implemented an interim order whereby manufacturers can submit an abbreviated application with information and material that support the safety, effectiveness and quality of their medical advice. In addition, Health Canada worked closely with other international regulators by exchanging information on new COVID-19 testing and increasing engagement with manufacturers to closely monitor advancements in new technology and the factors impacting global markets.

As of February 15, 2022, Health Canada has authorized 107 testing devices, including 10 self-tests and 28 tests that can be used in a point-of-care setting. We have leveraged domestic and international partnerships in order to share technical expertise, exchange information and learn from the experiences of others. The government is committed to working with the provinces and territories on all efforts, including information sharing, so that any potential issues can be addressed as effectively and quickly as possible.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the government worked with province and territories, workplaces and non-profit organizations to expand the use of COVID-19 tests. The Creative Destruction Lab’s Rapid Screening Consortium initiative set the stage for the expansion of workplace testing. Building on the success of this initiative, and to support broader access to testing for Canadians in their places of work, the federal government provided more than 4 million rapid tests directly to employers and more than 1.7 million to pharmacies for distribution to small and medium-sized organizations.

Since May 2021, the government has been working with the Canadian Red Cross to support voluntary testing in non-profit organizations by providing guidance and resources, including COVID-19 tests. During this time, the Canadian Red Cross has supported 234 organizations across the country.

Northern, remote and isolated communities in Canada often experience obstacles with timely access to conventional health care services such as diagnostic testing and linkage to care. On‑site services may not be available, and challenges with specimen transport can lead to increased turnaround time and delays in diagnosis and treatment. Any delays invariably lead to further challenges in contact tracing and the implementation of effective public health measures to contain or halt transmission.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the northern, remote and isolated initiative was established in early 2020 to ensure equitable access to health care for people living in northern, remote and isolated communities across Canada. This initiative prioritizes distribution of point-of-care diagnostic testing supplies to communities which are home to many First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples.

In consultation with provinces and territories, the initiative works closely with community leadership and councils in identifying community testing requirements to ensure testing and screening functions within their coordinated public health systems. As of January 16, 2022, a total of 651 testing instruments and 1,196,039 tests have been deployed to support testing in more than 300 northern, remote and isolated communities. The National Microbiology Laboratory continues to receive requests for engagement, instruments, training and support.

As has been stated by the Minister of Health, Canada has seen an exponential increase in the demand for rapid tests and the need for expanded testing. Provinces and territories have also adjusted their programs to rely more heavily on rapid tests. In a matter of weeks in November 2021, provincial and territorial demand for rapid antigen tests greatly increased as all provincial and territorial lab-based diagnostic PCR testing capacity was overwhelmed. Provinces and territories turned to COVID-19 rapid tests for confirmation of positive cases. Ongoing procurement to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 tests is therefore required. We need to increase access to these tests, and we need to do it now.

Honourable senators, the provinces and territories have asked for help. They have requested millions of rapid tests, and they need them quickly. More and more, Canadians are taking responsibility for their own health and the protection of the health of those they care about. We all saw the news reports of long lines and high demand for rapid tests when they were released for distribution. People stood for hours in frigid temperatures to obtain them. Many outlets simply did not have adequate supply. Bill C-10 will give the necessary authority to Health Canada to purchase and distribute the millions of tests required so that Canadians can keep themselves and their loved ones safe.

The passage of Bill C-10 would also allow Health Canada to ensure equitable access in all provinces and territories. It would build on commitments made in the 2021 Economic and Fiscal Update, which proposed an additional $1.7 billion in funding for the purchase and distribution of rapid tests in Canada, which is presently contained in Bill C-8 currently before the other place.

The government has been buying and providing COVID-19 rapid tests free of charge to the provinces and territories since October 2020, in line with the authorization of the first COVID-19 rapid test. Given the high demand and to accelerate the delivery of them in the coming months, Bill C-10 is seeking authority for $2.5 billion in funding to purchase tests and to provide the expanded warehousing and logistic support required in order to ensure timely delivery of COVID-19 rapid tests. The government will continue, in every way possible, to work with provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous partners and other stakeholders to put the health and safety of Canadians first. Given the constrained global supply and the government’s commitment to equitable access by all Canadians to tests, Bill C-10 seeks the additional funding for rapid test procurement through the winter and into the spring.

As Canada moves towards relaxing public health measures, I respectfully ask that we move this legislation forward expeditiously so that the government can fulfill the growing requests of the provinces and territories for rapid tests. These are a valuable tool in their toolboxes, allowing them to gradually lift public health measures while continuing to ensure that Canadians stay safe and healthy. Thank you, honourable colleagues.