COVID-19: a national emergency demands a national response

As Canada finds itself at another critical juncture on the pandemic path, we believe that it is time for the federal government to recognize the growing number of COVID-19 infections as a national emergency, and pursuant to subsection 6(1), based on the definition contained in 5(b), invoke the Emergencies Act, and the accompanying temporary authorities.

The clock is ticking: We are entering an era of pandemics. The global consequences of historical decisions are impacting us now and will continue to impact us in the foreseeable future. Even if this action ends up being an overreach, we can fully expect to have to use these authorities in the future and any practical experience we can acquire will be invaluable going forward, write Joe Jordan and Tim Barber. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Opinion

BY JOE JORDAN AND TIM BARBER

January 14, 2021

OTTAWA—There are many things about this pandemic that we do not know, such as vaccine efficacy against emerging variants or the long-term health implications of infection. However, we do know that close to 17,000 Canadians have died directly from COVID-19 and even the most optimistic projections p...

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