Canadians being flown home in emergency flights out of China amidst virus crisis

   Canada column for Sunday, Feb. 9/20

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   The first planeload of Canadians arrived home after an emergency flight out of China, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

   A Canadian government flight carrying 176 people from Wuhan touched down in Vancouver and then flew to Canadian Forces Base Trenton in Ontario. Another flight is being planned.

  The passengers are undergoing two weeks of quarantine and monitoring to see if they’ve contracted the virus before being released, said Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne.

   A second group of 39 Canadians also made it home to Trenton through the gracious offer to fill space on a flight chartered by the U.S. government.

   Health authorities have five confirmed cases of coronavirus in Canada and ordered the quarantine to ensure the virus doesn’t spread further.

   The Canadian government is also monitoring 285 Canadians quarantined on cruise ships off the coasts of Japan and Hong Kong.

   There are seven Canadians with confirmed cases of the virus aboard the Diamond Princess docked in Yokohama and are being treated in hospitals in Japan.

Canada prepares to fly Canadians out of China over virus outbreak

   Canada column for Sunday, Feb. 2/20

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   The Canadian government is making final arrangements to airlift 295 people out of the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak in China.

   Canada’s public health services has reported four confirmed cases, with three in Ontario  and one in British Columbia, of people who recently returned from China.

   Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada has applied for Chinese approval to send a plane to the locked-down city of Wuhan to transport the Canadians who have asked for help to leave.

   As well, the government is co-ordinating evacuation efforts with other countries and going through a “deliberate process” to get the Canadians home.

   The World Health Organization said the outbreak is a global emergency with China’s deaths rising on Saturday to 259 and 12,000 confirmed cases.

   Canada is assisting the international community and World Health Organization to ensure the threat from the virus remains low here and elsewhere in the world, Trudeau said.

High alert in Canada for coronavirus coming from China

   Canada column for Sunday, Jan 25/20

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   Health authorities are on high alert but say the risk of Canadians contracting the coronavirus illness from China remains low.

   There have been no confirmed Canadian cases but public health agencies say they would not be surprised if it makes it here.

   “The system is on alert, all the things are in place and we’re monitoring,” said Dr. David Williams, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health.

   Airports in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal with direct flights from China are screening passengers.

   The death toll rose to 41 Saturday with 1,300 people infected in China where the virus was traced to a seafood market in Wuhan.

   The virus is in the same family as the common cold but also caused the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) outbreak 17 years ago.

   That led to 774 deaths worldwide, including 44 in Canada, but “we are much better prepared now,” Williams said.

Canada giving emergency aid of $25,000 for Canadian victims of Iranian jet shot down

   Canada column for Sunday, Jan 19/20

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   The Canadian government is providing emergency compensation of $25,000 to each family of Canada’s victims of the Ukrainian passenger jet shot down over Iran.

   Regardless of whether Iran will offer compensation, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the humanitarian offer for the 57 Canadian citizens and 29 permanent residents killed in the crash.

   Trudeau said the families have told him they are facing big costs for travel and funerals.

   “Obviously this is immediate assistance for a range of needs that they might have,” Trudeau said.

   The money will be distributed “in the coming days” and they would not be required to pay back the government.

   “It is not the compensation that we expect will come, and should come, from Iran in due course,” Trudeau said.

   Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne made a request for compensation in a meeting Friday with his Iranian counterpart, Javad Zarif, in Oman.

Canada "wants justice, answers" as 63 Canadians among victims in Iranian jet crash

   Canada column for Sunday, Jan 12/20

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   Dozens of Canada’s gifted researchers, university students, medical and engineering professionals and families were among 63 of the 176 victims of the Iranian jet crash near Tehran.

   Anger is growing across Canada as memorials are held to honor those killed in what is now confirmed to have been an act of war – the use of a missile to bring down the plane – a claim originally denied in Iran.

   On the plane were 138 passengers planning to connect to a flight to Canada.

   “We want justice,” mourners yelled as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau laid flowers at a makeshift memorial in Ottawa.

   “This is a national tragedy and all Canadians are mourning together,” he said.

   Canada, which severed its diplomatic ties with Iran in 2012 and expelled Iranian diplomats, has sent its officials and members of the Transportation Safety Board to Tehran seeking answers.

   It is not known, however, if they will be allowed near the crash site or to inspect the debris.

   “Our focus remains closure, accountability, transparency and justice for the families and loved ones of the victims,” Trudeau said.

Snowbirds upset over Ontario government ending out-of-country health insurance

   Canada column for Sunday, Jan 5/20

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   Canadian “snowbirds” are in a flap over the decision by the Ontario government to end out-of-country health insurance coverage.

   The Canadian Snowbird Association has filed a legal challenge against the changes that came into effect on Jan. 1.

   The group said the government’s cost-saving move violates terms of the Canada Health Act that “protect the right to out-of-country emergency medical care.”

   Used to “free” health and hospital care at home, the now-ended program covered out-of-country inpatient services up to $400 a day for higher level of care and $50 daily for emergency outpatient and doctor services.

   Health Minister Christine Elliott said the program was costly and did not provide value to taxpayers.

   “With this limited coverage and low reimbursement rate, eligible Ontarians who do not purchase private travel health insurance can be left with catastrophically large bills to pay,” her office said.

   The province spent $2.8 million to administer $9 million in claim payments through the program every year.

Justin Trudeau pledges a make-over in his second term as prime minister

   Canada column for Sunday, Dec. 22/19

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau settles into his second term, he plans to take on a new persona.

   He will adopt a “lower-profile, more businesslike approach” in his role that was somewhat tarnished in his first term.

   The government’s achievements on major issues were obscured by the focus on him and his talk of sunny ways’ values.

   As the son of the late, flamboyant Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, the younger politician restored the Liberals status in Parliament with his celebrity status.

   His image, however, was “tarnished by ethical lapses, misadventures on the world stage and the embarrassing revelation during this fall’s federal election campaign that he had repeatedly donned blackface in his younger days,” the Canadian Press newswire said.

   In his year-end address, Trudeau, who heads a minority government that has to work with opposition parties in order to survive, said he will take a “more respectful and collaborative” approach.