There has never been a case of Ebola in Canada, and the federal government is doing its level best to ensure that Canadians are protected should this deadly virus reach our shores.

Federal Health Minister Rona Ambrose and Chief Public Health Officer of Canada, Dr. Gregory Taylor, have announced a $30.5 million investment to further strengthen Canada’s domestic preparedness and international response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

Building on experience with SARS and H1N1, Canadian hospitals have strong infection control procedures in place. But Minister Ambrose noted that “We are continuing to invest in research and development of vaccines and treatments that will assist in the global outbreak response.”

“This new funding for research and development for Ebola medical countermeasures will complement other Canadian Ebola preparedness and response activities to ensure that Canada is ready to respond in the event there is a confirmed first case in Canada. The investments further demonstrate our commitment to ensuring that Canada continues to remain cautious and well prepared,” explained Dr. Taylor.

The Chief Public Health Officer of Canada is in regular contact with provincial and territorial counterparts, helping ensure we are prepared in the event a case is identified in Canada. The Government of Canada is ready to support provincial and territorial health systems with emergency response teams, five of which are already prepared, to immediately deploy at the request of the provinces and territories in the event of a first case of Ebola in Canada. They also will supply lab expertise to confirm a diagnosis, emergency supplies such as masks, face shields and gloves, and doses of an experimental Ebola vaccine.

In addition, the federal government has contributed two diagnostic labs and significant funding to help combat Ebola and save lives in West Africa. We have provided over $2.5 million worth of personal protective equipment to the World Health Organization for use in West Africa.

It is recommended that Canadians avoid non-essential travel to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Travelers arriving in Canada from affected countries are subject to a mandatory health assessment, and Canadian visa officers have temporarily paused the processing of visa applications from foreign nationals who have been present in a country designated by the World Health Organization as having widespread cases of Ebola, unless essential in exceptional cases. Our government is also posting additional inspectors at airports.

Canadians can rest assured that their federal, provincial and territorial governments are prepared to deal with threats to public health, and that our government is taking all necessary steps to help protect the health and safety of Canadians.

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