GOVERNMENT OF CANADA ACTION TO CONTAIN THE EFFECTS OF SEVERE ACUTE RESPIRATORY SYNDROME (SARS)

May 2, 2003
Ottawa, Ontario

Since the emergence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in Canada, the Government of Canada has taken swift action on a number of fronts to protect the health of those who live in Canada –– as well as those who visit, and to help Canadians affected by the non-medical consequences of the outbreak. The success of these efforts have been as a result of close collaboration with international and national partners. To manage this effort, the Government of Canada has set aside a minimum of $100 million this fiscal year for the fight against SARS.

Working with the Government of Ontario and the City of Toronto, the Government of Canada provided support to control infection and ease the burden of health care workers. The Government of Canada has also screened travellers in major airports, boosted research efforts in the search for a vaccine, protected the blood supply, and developed a SARS national public health strategy.

On an international level, Canada has been working in active partnership with the World Health Organization and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to address the challenge SARS poses internationally. The Government of Canada was also part of the successful representation to the World Health Organization to remove the travel advisory for Toronto.

Efforts to address the challenges posed by the non-medical effects of SARS include support for a strategy to boost Toronto and Canada as a safe tourist and business destination and a series of financial measures to help health care workers and people who have been in isolation or quarantine due to SARS.

For a list of the specific actions undertaken by the Government of Canada to date, please consult the attached backgrounders.

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PMO Press Office: (613) 957-5555

Backgrounder

WHAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS DONE IN RESPONSE TO SARS

The Government of Canada has been actively supporting the work of the provincial and municipal governments in their fight against SARS since the outbreak began.

To control infection, we have:

• provided detailed clinical guidelines for infection control and recommendations on actions for public health settings;
• lent health care professionals and equipment to Toronto's public health authorities;
• through our National Microbiology Laboratory, been in the forefront of research into the cause of SARS, and the search for an effective test and the future development of a vaccine;
• been cooperating closely with the WHO, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other organizations to share information to control the spread of SARS;
• been working in close partnership with the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including a staff exchange; 
• located 1.5 million surgical masks to allow the Province of Ontario to increase its supply of this important infection control device; 
• sent two mobile x-ray machines and processors to Toronto;
• directed blood operators to temporarily defer blood donations from people who have had possible exposure to SARS;
• accepted the provinces' request to coordinate a strategy to find temporary replacements for front line health care workers;
• organized an international conference with experts from around the world to further develop the SARS national public health strategy;
• appointed Dr. David Naylor, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Toronto to lead a small team of experts to provide ongoing advice and draw lessons learned;
• committed $500,000 for SARS research through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research;
• at the request of the WHO, sent a team of officials to Hong Kong to help investigate the possible environmental transmission of SARS;

At our airports and on the borders, we have:

• stationed quarantine officers and health care professionals to screen passengers at Pearson and other airports;
• arranged for the distribution on all direct flights coming from Asia of Health Alert Notices and Traveller Contact Information Forms, which are collected as passengers disembark the aircraft;
• planned to introduce heightened screening measures for outgoing international travellers at Toronto Pearson Airport; and additional screening measures for incoming international passengers at all airports across the country where passengers arrive through Canadian Customs locations; 
• begun production of a SARS information video to be available on all international flights in and out of Canada, as well as a training package to support airline personnel in responding to questions from passengers about SARS;
• announced our intention to set up pilots of experimental temperature monitoring equipment at Pearson and Vancouver International airports. This technology will be evaluated to determine its effectiveness in the early identification of SARS. This pilot project involves the contracting and purchase of equipment, and will be in place as quickly as possible;

On other fronts, we have:

• issued, through the Treasury Board Secretariat, a notice to staff and news release that the Government of Canada considers it to be business as usual for travel to and from Toronto;
• held an unprecedented meeting of the Cabinet in downtown Toronto;
• been working, through our missions abroad, to assist Canadians in SARS-affected areas, to monitor and report on the situation in these areas, and to ensure that foreign governments, businesspeople, travellers and media have accurate information about the SARS situation and understand that it is safe to visit Toronto and Canada;
• had one of our public health experts participate, by teleconference, at a US Senate hearing on SARS, along with public health experts from Ontario and the CDC;
• committed $10 million toward a marketing campaign to promote Toronto as a safe place to visit;
• waived the two-week waiting period for Employment Insurance (EI) benefits so that those in imposed quarantine can receive their benefits without delay;
• introduced special coverage for part-time and self-employed health workers not covered by EI and unable to work because of SARS;
• committed $1.45 million to support the Canadian Tourism Human Resources Council, which is dealing with challenges facing the tourism sector;
• through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), provided flexible arrangements - such as special payment schedules or temporary deferral of payments - to help people facing difficulties meeting mortgage payments because of SARS; through the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA), offered special measures under the "fairness" provisions of the Income Tax Act, such as extended due dates, flexible payment schedules and waived penalties or interest –– to help individuals and businesses experiencing difficulties in fulfilling their tax obligations because of SARS;
• through the Business Development Bank of Canada, offered a four-month postponement of capital payments without penalty, and additional working capital to small business clients affected by the economic impact of SARS;
• arranged to host a special SARS briefing session in New York on Monday May 5 at the Canada Media Marketplace, which showcases tourism in Canada to hundreds of US travel journalists; and
• arranged for federal, provincial and territorial tourism ministers to meet in Toronto, May 9 and 10, to develop plans to aggressively promote Canada as a destination of choice for business and leisure travellers. For further information on Canadian action on SARS:

For further information on Canadian action on SARS:

Government of Canada Sites