Ottawa Will Soon Announce Changes to Border Measures as Omicron Recedes: Health Minister

Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos responds to a question during a news conference in Ottawa on Jan. 19, 2022. Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

Canada’s Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said Friday his government expects to announce changes to border measures next week, with the “worst of Omicron now behind us.”

During a press conference in Ottawa providing an update on COVID-19, Duclos didn’t hint at what those changes would entail, but this week the Opposition Conservatives criticized the border measures as being out of step with the rest of the developed world.

“The pre-departure, on-arrival PCR test for fully vaccinated travellers makes no sense. It is not science. Canada’s current COVID-19 travel restrictions are obsolete,” said Conservative MP and transport critic Melissa Lantsman in the House of Commons on Feb. 10.

The government has been adamant when imposing measures or defending them that it has been following science, and Duclos added the concept of “prudence” to the discourse about what should be considered when deciding on the relaxing of public health measures.

“As we all know, science is continuously evolving. And as we have done since the beginning of the pandemic, we will continue to base our decisions on the best available scientific information and on prudence,” he said.

“The public health restrictions currently in place by provinces and territories in particular were always meant to be temporary. Some of these restrictions will be with us for a long time. Others will be lifted as soon as the epidemiological situation, science, and prudence allow it.”

Duclos also commented on the development earlier this week when Quebec MP Joël Lightbound broke ranks and asked for the government to provide a roadmap for the lifting of all restrictions under its purview.

The health minister said he has a “considerable level of affection and esteem for my dear friend Joel” and that they regularly discuss the management of the pandemic.

“I have always valued and appreciated these inputs. In a democracy, it’s a healthy habit for everyone to be able to express his or her opinions. Debate and discussion should always be encouraged.”

Data

Duclos and Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam were asked twice during the press conference if there were any data or studies to justify the vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers, and were also asked if it was worth jeopardizing social peace over it.

Duclos did not answer directly, but said “vaccination isn’t a punishment” but a “form of protection.”

Tam did not cite any data either, saying they “don’t have a breakdown of the figures based on occupation. That’s not to one of the indicators in our databases.”

But she did say there is “obvious evidence” that mandates work, since after being imposed there is an increased vaccine uptake.

Path Forward

Tam said that based on available indicators such as the positivity rate, the reproduction number, wastewater surveillance, and daily cases reported, Canada has passed the peak of the Omicron wave.

This means health authorities across the country are now considering how to manage SARS-CoV-2 virus in a more sustainable manner, she said.

“This will allow jurisdictions to begin to ease restrictions. It also includes planning for the months ahead and beyond when we can expect the virus to still be with us, including emergence of new variants with uncertain transmission and severity characteristics.”

Some provinces have already announced they are removing controversial measures such as vaccine passports, with Saskatchewan being the first to do so.

Tam also raised questions regarding what needs to be done to adapt the longer-term management of COVID-19 while monitoring the evolution of the virus, asking “do we need to change the vaccine? What will we need to do in the fall?”