London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 30, 2025

Canada won't declare national emergency over coronavirus

Canada won't declare national emergency over coronavirus

While the US declared a public health emergency Friday in response to the coronavirus, which has sickened nearly 10,000 people worldwide, Canada Health Minister Patty Hajdu however said Canada is not ready to declare a national emergency over the coronavirus outbreak.
Hajdu told CBC Friday that the current evidence doesn't justify such a declaration -or restrictions on the movement of foreign nationals into the country like the ones the United States imposed.

"We're comfortable that we're completely up to date in terms of our approach and what the science says. There is a very low risk to Canadians," said Hajdu. "Obviously, it is low because travel to and from the affected region is becoming more difficult. And of course, we have a very sophisticated system here in Canada."

Health Canada maintains there is no evidence that the virus can be transmitted by people who are asymptomatic -who have no symptoms -despite a German report suggesting otherwise, according to her.

Hajdu said she "can't speculate" about why the US chose this route when being asked why Canada is taking a different approach.

"We've been following closely the recommendations of the World Health Organization," Hajdu added.

Despite the low risk of transmission in this country, news of the virus has led to the re-emergence of racism and xenophobia that target Asian people in Canada.

Members of Toronto's Chinese community are urging the public to refrain from spreading fear and stigmatizing the community in the wake of coronavirus.

Echoing the calling from Chinese community, Toronto Mayor John Tory, along with members of Toronto Public Health and other council members, urged the community to make sure that during a heightened time of anxiety over the virus, people shouldn't let "fake news triumph over the facts."

"We can't let fear or ignorance triumph over our values of community, understanding, respect and rejection of discrimination," Tory said at City Hall Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau further urged Canadians to stay united and warned against the rise of discrimination as fears of the coronavirus spread.

"There is no place in our country for discrimination driven by fear or misinformation," Trudeau said at a Lunar New Year celebration at a banquet hall in Toronto on Saturday. "This is not something Canadians will ever stand for."

Canada's first coronavirus patient has been discharged from a Toronto hospital Friday morning.

The man, who was in his 50s, was the first person confirmed to have caught the virus in Canada after he returned from travelling in Wuhan on Jan 23. He was being treated at Toronto Sunnybrook Hospital.

The hospital said that the man's condition had improved throughout the week, and "he no longer required in-patient care." Instead, the hospital has liaised with Toronto Public Health and both will continue to monitor the patient at home.

The man's wife also tested positive for the virus, known as 2019-nCoV, but has been recovering at home in self-isolation.

The country's fourth patient was confirmed by Ontario health official just hours after the first patient was discharged, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to four -three in Ontario and one in B.C.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×