Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau convened the Incident Response Group.
The group discussed Canada’s response to the Novel Coronavirus, including actions taken to keep Canadians safe and prevent the spread of the virus. Minister of Health Patty Hajdu and Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam updated the Prime Minister on our preparedness and the second presumptive case of the virus in Canada. Discussions highlighted the work being done with partners and across government – including by Transport Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, Global Affairs Canada, the Canada Border Services Agency, and Public Safety Canada’s Government Operations Centre – to ensure the best possible response to the coronavirus.
The Prime Minister and members of the Incident Response Group also discussed Canada’s ongoing efforts to help families affected by the Ukraine International Airlines tragedy in Iran. They also discussed the status of our support for Australia as it battles bushfires, which includes on-site Canadian civilian firefighters and fire management experts. The Canadian Armed Forces are also providing satellite imagery and airlift support to Australia.