Canada negotiates details of airlift as WHO declares global health emergency over coronavirus

The federal government says it is working out thelogistics for a chartered flight to bring home Canadians now in the coronavirus-affected region of China and pushing back against Beijing's policy of denying family memberswho aren't Canadiancitizens permission to board the flight.

Foreign Affairs MinisterFranois-Philippe Champagne toldCBCNews that the government is negotiating with China about the airliftlogistics, which include sharing passenger and passportinformation with Chinese authorities andsecuring permits to land the flight and clearvarious checkpoints in thelockdownzone so people can get to the airport.

"We're really down to the details of the operations, getting the names, getting the passports, (confirming) those who want to come," he told CBC News.

The Emergency Watch and Response Centre at Global Affairs Canada (GAC)is warning families that China has told Ottawathat only Canadian citizens who entered the country with Canadian passports will be allowed to board the plane.

"Our policy is to keep families together whenever possible, and we have raised this with the Government of China. However, the Chinese policy is that only Canadian citizens travelling on their Canadian passport will be permitted to leave on this aircraft," says an email sent byGAC to a man whose family is trying to leave China.

Champagne, who has scheduled a call with his Chinese counterpart for this evening, said he will challengethat restriction to protect family units.

"We're going to be pushing, definitely, because we want to be able to offer consular assistance to everyone," he said.

Champagne said he couldn't offer a timeframe for the airliftbut noted that it could be several days, based on other countries' experience.

Watch: B.C. man was told China won't allow hiswife and daughter to board plane

B.C. man hoping to get his family out of Wuhan

5 years ago

Duration 6:37

Montgomery Gisborne has been informed by the Canadian government that China won't allow his wife and daughter to be airlifted out of Wuhan, because they are not Canadian citizens.

WHO declares global emergency

Today, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirusoubreak aglobal health emergency.

Speaking to reporters at an event in Brampton, Ont. to promote the new North American trade deal, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the government is working with international partners and considering WHO recommendations to develop a repatriation plan.

He said the government is doing "everything we can to support those families, to secure their return to Canada."

"There are a number of steps to go through with Chinese authorities and Canadian consular officials in China," he added. "We will keep you posted as soon as we have a little more clarity around what the date could be. But we are looking first and foremost at ensuring the safety of Canadiansin China and the safety of Canadians back here at home as well."

Federal officials confirmed this week they've lined up a charter aircraft tobring home Canadians stranded in the coronavirus-affected region of China.

Marta Morgan, deputy minister of foreign affairs, told a committee of MPs studying Canada-China relations today that 196 Canadians in China have asked for help getting home so far.

Trudeau did not detail the protocols that might be required for Canadians returning from the affected region, such as quarantine or self-isolation.

Calls for solidarity

After a special committee meeting in Geneva, the WHO declared the coronavirusoutbreak a global health emergency. It said the decision was not meant to suggest a lack of confidence in China's containment effort, but rather was intendedto alert countries with public health systems too weak to cope with the outbreak.

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesussaid the organization does not comment on travel or trade restrictions. He praised China for its transparency and efforts to control the outbreak, suggesting it is "setting a new standard for outbreak response." He urged the global community to pull together.

"This is the time, for facts, not fear," he said. "This is the time for science, not rumours. This is the time for solidarity, not stigma."

'Somewhat alarming escalation'

NDP health critic Don Davies said the WHO's declaration marks a "profound and somewhat alarming escalation" in the response to the outbreak.

"It's time for the government to get off their platitudes and generalities and start revealing to Canadians what their specific plans are," he said.

Davies said the fact that the WHO recognized that some countries don't have the systems in place to handle cases suggests there is a "significant elevation of the risk to Canadians," since people from those countries could travel here.

"I think the government's relatively moderate pace of behaviour and reaction on this file is no longer good enough," he said.

Watch: NDP MP Don Davies accuses Liberal government of laissez-faire attitude

Davies says government has laissez faire attitude towards coronavirus

5 years ago

Duration 1:47

NDP MP Don Davies says that the reaction by the government has not kept pace with the urgency of the coronavirus emergency and that is now endangering Canadians.

Davies said the Canadians returning from the affected region in China should be under quarantineto protect public health.

No sick people on plane

Health Minister Patty Hajdu said Thursday that no Canadian patients who have contracted the coronaviruswill be permitted to board the government-chartered plane information relayed Wednesday by Canada's Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam.

Hajdu said none of the 196 people asking for help getting home are sick. She would not say if Canadians who are not experiencing any symptoms will be required to go into quarantine upon arrival in Canada.

Asked to explainthe delay in scheduling the charter flight, Hajdu said the situation iscomplexbecause it involves a non-commercial flight into a country that is under quarantine and has strict protocols in place.

"That requires negotiations with the Chinese government, which Global Affairs Canada is doing," she said.

As for the WHO's declaration, Hajdu said Canada is following the organization's recommendations already and does not see the declaration changingthe domestic response.

"The risk remains low. Obviously, it is low because travel to and from the affected region is becoming moredifficult. And of course, we have a very sophisticated system here in Canada," she said.

Watch: Health Minister Patty Hajdusays misinformation can spread fear about coronavirus

Hajdu says misinformation is spreading fear

5 years ago

Duration 1:47

Health Minister Patty Hajdu says that misinformation being spread by some politicians and members of the media is creating fear especially in the Chinese-Canadian community.

The WHO declaration could mean that Canada could be called upon to provide more supports to countries that lack advanced health systems, she said.

There have been nearly 8,000 cases of coronavirus the vast majority of them in China. There have been three confirmed cases in Canada.

Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-FranoisBlanchetsaid the government cannot sit and wait for the situation to get better.

"I do not have the feeling when I watch the news that we are fully in control," he said. "And since it's anything but a political matter, I think there's no reason not to fully disclose what would be a relevant, complete plan to anticipate possible risk."