ABRIDGED NEWS RELEASE
JOHN BRASSARD, MP, BARRIE-INNISFIL
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Effective at midnight, anyone who is returning to Canada from abroad has to have a “credible quarantine plan” to isolate at home or they will finally be forced to spend a 14-day mandatory quarantine in isolation in a “quarantine location."
This new rule will apply to all people entering Canada whether by air, land, or sea.
“This should have been done at the onset of this crisis back in January,” said MP Brassard.
"For months, the federal government has faced widespread criticism that they did not act quickly enough to properly screen travellers arriving in Canada from hot spots where the virus was active.
"Many sources, including intelligence from the Canadian Military, warned that the virus, which started in China, had the potential to spread to Canada in early January. Since then, thousands of people have arrived in Canada from Hubei Province, the epicentre of the outbreak and other Countries like Italy and Spain.”
The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit offers tips for self-isolation.
The House of Commons is scheduled to resume normal sittings on April 20 unless an agreement is reached between all parties to modify the sitting calendar. Such an agreement must include regular opportunities for Members of Parliament to question the government, as would normally happen during Question Period, Brassard said.
“It is critically important that we have regular opportunities for MPs to question ministers in the House of Commons on all aspects of the government’s response to COVID-19 to ensure accountability,” he said. “By working together, we are able to ensure that the best possible decisions and outcomes are being made for Canadians.”
Ontario reported the highest number of COVID-19 deaths in a single day on Tuesday with 43, including a woman in her eighties who was a resident at the Bradford Valley long-term care facility in Bradford.
In response to the growing number of outbreaks and deaths at long-term care homes across the province, Premier Doug Ford announced that an emergency order will be issued tonight to limit employees at long term care homes from working at more than one facility.
The order will also redeploy “hospital-based care teams” to long-term care homes in order to manage virus outbreaks.
Also, on the advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, the Ontario legislature has extended the Declaration of Emergency under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act for a further 28 days, until May 12.
“The extension of the declaration of emergency allows Ontario to continue enforcing current emergency orders, such as the closure of all non-essential workplaces, outdoor amenities such as parks and recreational areas, bars and restaurants, as well as restrictions on social gatherings of more than five people and prohibitions against price-gouging,” MP Brassard stated. “The actions being taken by everyone staying at home and practicing physical distancing are making a difference and we must keep going to stop the spread of this virus.”
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