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Patty Hajdu

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Health Minister Highlights COVID-19 Etiquette

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Canada’s Health Minister is following the same rules as you when it comes to COVID-19. Patty Hajdu told Acadia Broadcasting’s John Ongaro, now that she’s home she’ll be altering her regular summer activities.

“If I do have friends over, I physically distance, so I haven’t been having many people over. We did have some neighbours over but two meters apart from one another,” Hajdu said.

The federal health minister says during the pandemic she hasn’t been very social. Hajdu went on to say we should be more compassionate to people while they navigate the new way of living during the pandemic.

“We need to understand that people are doing their best in this difficult time. I’ve heard stories of people being shamed for wearing a mask, and I have heard stories of people being shamed for not wearing a mask. Listen people are going to do what makes them comfortable and what is appropriate for their own health conditions,” Hajdu said.

The federal health minister suggests we should help to support healthy behaviour instead of shaming each other.

When it comes to travelling this summer, Ontario’s hot zone remains Windsor-Essex.

“All it takes is a case that’s imported from another area that’s in outbreak. Suppose someone from Thunder Bay drives to Windsor to visit family and returns to Thunder Bay. That case will just continue to burble on,” Hajdu said.

The Thunder Bay MP is reminding anyone who wants to get tested, to do it.

 

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Outbreaks Still Possible: Hajdu

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Canada’s Health Minister says we need to be careful to avoid more outbreaks of COVID-19.

While she says we’ve made progress stopping COVID-19, Patty Hajdu points out clusters of new cases could turn into outbreaks if not handled properly.

She’s wary of any new cases in workplaces and in institutions where people live close together.

“When we start to see clusters of activity, like the temporary foreign worker outbreak in southern Ontario for example, long-term care cases are very, very alarming, anything in the healthcare system is alarming,” Hajdu admits.

The minister adds provinces with fewer cases will have to carefully decide how to open up travel with harder-hit areas.

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Blood Samples To Study Immunity Against Virus

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It remains to be seen if anyone in Northern Ontario will be included in a sampling of 10,000 Canadians to help the federal government study immunity against COVID-19.

Health Minister Patty Hajdu tells us a task force will take blood samples, to figure out the virus’ prevalence and anything else we don’t know.

“One of the things that we don’t know about COVID-19 is if exposure to the illness, having the illness, actually gives you long immunity, little immunity, or any at all,” says the minister.

The Thunder Bay MP says the task force hopes to better understand COVID-19’s impact regionally.

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Hajdu Urges Continued Caution Around Coronavirus

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Patty Hajdu says COVID-19 is here for the foreseeable future.

The federal Health Minister says until we develop a vaccine, she’s listening to federal health officials who are now recommending you wear a mask in public. She notes she made sure to wear a mask at a busy store in her Thunder Bay-Superior North riding.

She says it’s still important to keep up with those measures, even as the weather gets warmer.

“It’s going to be important that we all remember that we have to take those actions seriously that we’ve learned over the last several months, which is to wash our hands, to stay home if we’re sick, and even when we’re out and about that we physically distance and don’t gather in large groups,” Hajdu explains.

The minister admits the country will eventually need to face the debt and deficit resulting from the pandemic, but isn’t focusing on that right now.

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Canada-US Border Extension Expected

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While the US/Canada border won’t be opening any time soon to non-essential travelling, Health Minister Patty Hajdu suggests Canadians may want to consider whether it’s worth making the trip.

Hajdu spoke to Acadia Broadcasting’s John Ongaro this morning.

The federal health minister says the price of health care in the States may be troubling to some.

“As travel resumes and it’s not today, it will be really important for people to check their travel insurance…if it’s even available. They’ll need to check to see if they are covered for coronavirus, which it likely won’t be,” Hajdu said.

The Health Minister says if you get sick in the United States it could be stressful from a number of perspectives including the cost.

Hajdu says the federal government is currently working on extending the closure of the Canada/US border to non-essential travel and expects a formal announcement to be made sometime soon.

The Prime Minister hasn’t confirmed yet if the US/Canada border will continue to be closed up until June 21st as some have suggested. During his morning briefing on COVID-19, he reaffirmed that talks are continuing and that they have been productive.

“As we move forward we will continue to work with the US administration and I can highlight that that work has been positive and constructive. I have spoken with President Trump a number of times over the past weeks and our conversations have always been very positive,” Trudeau said.

The Prime Minister says talks are continuing and they will be making their decisions in a timely fashion in these unprecedented times.

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Health Minister Thanks Frontline Workers During Historic Meeting Of Parliament

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For the first time ever in the history of federal government, MPs came together virtually.

This is a step they have taken in an effort to ensure physical distancing, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Health Minister Patty Hajdu says Canadians have really come together, “So many stories, so many acts of kindness. Canadians are finding many different ways all across the country, virtually and practically.”

She offered a heartfelt thanks to everyone working on the frontline in this pandemic.

“They are taking care of patients affected by COVID-19. They are taking care of senior citizens and other populations at a high risk of contracting COVID-19. It is hard and emotional work.”

Hajdu says there is still so much we don’t know about the virus, What I do know for certain, is the duration and severity of COVID-19, here is Canada depends on all of us, on our individual actions and how we rigorously follow public health directives.”

 

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Feds Working On Exit Plan For COVID-19

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Canada’s health minister is working on coming up with an exit plan for when things can return to normal, but Patty Hajdu isn’t sure when that will be.

Hajdu told Acadia Broadcasting’s John Ongaro, that’s what her ministry is now focusing on.

“A sort of health safety net, what needs to be in place as we try and live and adapt to this new normal of having a virus on the scene where there is no vaccine. It’s still a major health risk to Canadians and all around the world,” Hajdu said.

Hajdu stressed if people want things to return to normal now is not the time to stop following COVID-19 rules.

Earlier this week the federal government announced $115 million for research into vaccines and treatments, $350 million is going towards national testing and modelling and $662 million will be used for clinical trials.

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Hajdu Cautiously Optimistic On COVID-19 Figures

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Canada’s Health Minister says not to get discouraged by a recent spike in COVID-19 cases.

Speaking to Acadia Broadcasting’s John Ongaro, Patty Hajdu explains one day of higher numbers doesn’t mean our efforts aren’t working.

“It is going to go up and down, but what we’re looking for is the trend line,” Hajdu says. “So some days you might have more cases reported because the tests have come back, or because they’ve gotten some conclusive tests back on a particular cluster.”

The Health Minister adds the rate of new cases has declined since the coronavirus first appeared in Canada.

“When we were first ascending that curve, we were doubling cases every three days. Can you imagine, from 100 to 200 to 400 to 800, that’s rapid, exponential growth. What we now know is that our doubling rate is about every ten days,” Hajdu points out. She calls that the number to “pin our hopes on.”

Hajdu notes data from last week showed three out of four people were following public health guidelines to stay home aside from essential trips. She says we have to continue with these restrictions to avoid overwhelming the healthcare system.

The federal minister adds we are between one year and 18 months away from a vaccine, and she is looking at how to adapt the healthcare system in the long term.

“What do we have to make sure our hospitals are equipped in a long-term way to manage significantly ill people, and not just from COVID-19? That’s the work I’m doing,” she explains.

Hajdu suggests Canada will be very cautious about potentially opening the border with the United States, after American officials began discussing that option. She says our government is not eager to lift that restriction yet, or to re-open businesses.

“If we open up, quote-unquote ‘the economy’ too quickly, people will get sick and die,” Hajdu says, “And that will actually be worse for the economy than actually taking our time and doing it properly, and making sure we have the right safeguards in place so people can live with this new disease that doesn’t have a treatment, and doesn’t have a vaccine.”

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Federal Health Minister Updates COVID-19 Action

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You can now get the latest COVID-19 information from the Federal Government directly on your phone.

Health Minister Patty Hajdu says a mobile App is available in both the Apple App Store and on Google Play.

“This App will provide up-to-date information about the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada including advice for preventing the spread of the virus, important contact information and guidance for seeking medical help.”

Responding to reports that some hospitals are rationing mask supplies during the outbreak, Hajdu notes Canada “likely did not have enough” personal protective equipment stockpiled ahead of this pandemic.

During a press conference on Tuesday, Hajdu commented “I think federal governments for decades have been underfunding things like public health preparedness and I would say that obviously governments all across the world are in the same exact situation”.

She added “I have heard those stories myself from frontline workers; I know provinces and territories are developing different sets of rules for frontline workers around the disbursement and use of personal protective equipment”.

Hajdu notes the government is pushing hard to build up its supply of PPE.

The Thunder Bay-Superior North MP adds Ottawa will soon be announcing new mental health supports for all Canadians during the pandemic, stating this is a difficult time for everyone.

“Reach out safely. Call your loved ones. Write a letter to a friend. Volunteer safely. Our government will continue to work hard to have your back but each and every one of you can make a difference today in how someone is feeling.”

She says we must meet our fear together, stating it will take courage and compassion to get through the pandemic.

Hajdu again stresses the importance of physical distancing and staying home over the few weeks.

“If we all just stop moving for two weeks, believe it or not, this virus will die. It relies on its host to keep moving and that’s all of us. It’s a sneaky little virus. Most people who get it will feel not that ill and some people who get it will not even feel ill.”

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Clearer Rules Laid Out For Quarantine Act

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The Federal Health Minister is clarifying some of the rules under the Quarantine Act that forces travellers returning to Canada to self-isolate for 14-days.

Patty Hajdu told media, those travellers who are showing signs of COVID-19 can not take public transit, but those who aren’t showing can continue on their travels to their home destination.

“The transportation rule is for symptomatic passengers so that they are not in contact with other Canadians on public transit that would put others at risk because of their potential infection with COVID-19. Asymptomatic passengers are given public health advice including the order to quarantine when they get to their final destination along with a mask. They are too put the mask on if they become ill at any point in the onward travel,” Hajdu said.

Symptomatic travellers will be transported by government officials and placed in a quarantine facility.

Federal and provincial agencies will work together to perform random checks on those passengers to ensure they are self-isolating. Officials say the checks may be in-person and they have other options they are considering as well.

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