Canadian teams working on lab-in-a-box to diagnose novel coronavirus

   Canada column for Sunday, March 8/20

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   Teams of Canadian medical specialists are working to develop a “lab-in-a-box” to diagnose quickly and attack the novel coronavirus that’s sweeping the world.

   While saying the risk for Canadians in contracting the disease, also known as COVID-19, remains low, cases are popping up across the country.

   The Canadian government is spending $27 million to support 47 research teams.

   They are developing, testing and implementing ways to deal with the global outbreak.

   This includes $1 million from the International Development Research Center to work on the lab including viral respirologists in Vietnam and Brazil.

   “This is about making sure that Canada is able to participate in this research that is happening globally and that we have Canadian solutions being developed,” Health Minister Patty Hajdu said.

   The Canadian government says there are 51 cases confirmed in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec and urges people to use caution when travelling abroad.

Canada ready and on watch for coronavirus

   Canada column for Sunday, March 1/20

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   Canadians are being reassured that the risk of contracting novel coronavirus “is low” and health authorities are ready.

   Dr. Theresa Tam, who heads the Public Health Agency of Canada, said the country has methods to monitor the possible spread of the virus that are typically used to monitor influenza.

   There are 14 confirmed cases of the virus in Ontario, Quebec  and British Columbia that all have links to international travel, mainly from Iran and China with someone who has recently returned to the country.

   Should public-health agencies discover the spread of the virus, also known as COVID-19, they will work quickly to try to contain it, Tam said.

   Already Canada is looking at tracking local spread of the virus along with those linked with international travel.

   This is something “that all countries should be moving toward as well,” she said.

   The public health agency is taking stock of the need for personal protective equipment and other supplies to make sure there are enough to go around in case of a pandemic outbreak.

Native protests continue to block Canada passenger and freight rail service

   Canada column for Sunday, Feb. 16/20

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   By Jim Fox

   Passenger and freight rail service has been virtually suspended across Canada due to Native protest blockades while police stand by and “monitor” the situation.

   Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the disruptions must be resolved “through dialogue,” not by ordering in the police.

   “We are not the kind of country where politicians tell the police what to do in operational matters,” he added.

   The blockades began a week ago over an injunction against Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs and supporters at the Coastal GasLink natural gas pipeline construction site in British Columbia.

   A major concern is a blockade of the Canadian National Railway main line near Belleville, Ontario that has halted VIA Rail passenger trains and freight.

   Members of the Mohawk Nation met over the weekend with Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller but couldn't resolve the 10-day protest there.

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.