Canada’s top military commander issued a detailed set of “pre-pandemic planning” orders on Wednesday for units both at home and overseas.
The orders give base commanders the authority, among other things, to cancel large gatherings on bases in the event of a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases.
They also outline “additional precautions,” ranging from personal hygiene to strict reviews of all non-essential travel and leave for soldiers, sailors and aircrew.
“The intent of this is to look at all of the things we need to do to preserve the force, should this become a pandemic,” said Gen. Jonathan Vance, the chief of the defence staff, at a defence conference in Ottawa.
The military needs to preserve its ability to function and support the government if there is a full-blown health emergency, he added.
Federal officials, under a worst-case scenario, are preparing for an absentee rate among government workers of 25 per cent and Vance said the military is looking at a similar number should there be a pandemic.
WATCH | Vance calls for ‘common sense’ precautions:
Gen. Jonathan Vance explains how he has directed his commanders to prepare for a possible pandemic. 0:45
“On a case-by-case basis, commanders will review where their troops travel on what may be non-essential travel. Can they do it another way?” said Vance.
One of the concerns is having troops trapped in countries that close their borders or impose sudden quarantines.
Vance said the military has already noticed a disruption in travel schedules as they try to move personnel in and out of certain countries, particularly in the Middle East.
Iraq, where Canada has as many as 500 troops deployed, has reported two deaths from COVID-19. Overall, that country has reported 35 cases, with 14 in the capital of Baghdad.
Vance was speaking at an Ottawa defence conference, which was warned earlier in the day that war zones, such as northern Syria and Iraq are extraordinarily vulnerable to COVID-19 because of the poor state of the public health systems.
Jenny Cafarella, the research director the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War, noted how refugees fleeing Syria for Turkey over the last few days are sleeping in open fields. She predicted the virus could become a major security concern.
It is something Vance said he is worried about, given troops throughout the region are involved in capacity building, which requires day-to-day contact with local security forces, someone of who may not be as healthy as western soldiers.
“We’re seeing it now in Iraq,” he said. “Chances are, if someone is sick, they’re not going to operating; they’re not going to be doing the job and therefore they wouldn’t be subject to our close mentoring. Nonetheless we’ve started to notice its spread in Iraq.”
HALIFAX – The federal Fisheries Department says an endangered North Atlantic right whale has become entangled in gear in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
The department says the whale was sighted Wednesday by a Transport Canada aerial surveillance team northeast of the Gaspé Peninsula, off Anticosti Island.
Officials say it’s not known what type of gear has entangled the whale or where the gear came from.
Based on observation, experts at the New England Aquarium have confirmed the whale is a female known as Chiminea.
The department says it is continuing to monitor the area and if the whale is located and conditions allow, efforts will be made to disentangle the animal.
Last October, the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium estimated there were 356 North Atlantic right whales left on the planet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
VANCOUVER – Canadian pop icon Nelly Furtado has been named one of three headliners for the opening ceremony of the upcoming Invictus Games.
Furtado, from Victoria, will share the stage with alt-pop star Roxane Bruneau of Delson, Que., and American singer-songwriter Noah Kahan.
They’ll be part of the show that opens the multi-sport event in Vancouver and Whistler, B.C., in February.
The Invictus Games sees wounded, injured, and sick military service members and Veterans compete in 11 disciplines.
The Vancouver Whistler 2025 Games will be the first of seven editions to feature winter adaptive sports, including alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, skeleton and wheelchair curling.
British Columbia’s Lower Mainland will host the Invictus Games from Feb. 8-16.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
