Wednesday, December 17, 2025
ADVT 
National

PHAC head grilled on firing of two scientists

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 23 Mar, 2021 12:43 AM
  • PHAC head grilled on firing of two scientists

The president of the Public Health Agency of Canada has been given until the end of the week to explain why two Canadian government scientists were let go 18 months after being escorted from Canada's only Level 4 laboratory.

Iain Stewart told the special committee on Canada-China relations he can't go into details because of an ongoing RCMP investigation.

But after heated exchanges with opposition members of the committee, he agreed to seek legal counsel about whether he could give the committee details in confidence.

The committee agreed to give him until Friday to provide answers about why PHAC terminated the employment of Dr. Xiangguo Qiu and her husband, Keding Cheng, in January.

The pair were escorted out of the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg in July 2019 over what was described as a possible policy breach and administrative matter.

PHAC has said their departure had nothing to do with the fact that four months earlier, Qiu had been responsible for a shipment of Ebola and Henipah viruses to China's Wuhan Institute of Virology.

 

MORE National ARTICLES

Vaccinating Mounties should be a priority: union

Vaccinating Mounties should be a priority: union
The National Police Federation says inoculating its members will ensure the safety of both officers and the communities they serve.

Vaccinating Mounties should be a priority: union

Woman dead, man hurt in shooting in Surrey, B.C

Woman dead, man hurt in shooting in Surrey, B.C
Officers found a woman in grave condition and a man suffering non-life-threatening injuries inside the home.

Woman dead, man hurt in shooting in Surrey, B.C

B.C. expands mask requirements in schools

B.C. expands mask requirements in schools
Previously, students and staff were only required to wear masks in areas where interactions are not controlled, such as in hallways, libraries and on school buses.

B.C. expands mask requirements in schools

Canada sees 30-per-cent drop in COVID cases

Canada sees 30-per-cent drop in COVID cases
Even with this decline, Tam said the current caseload continues to burden local health-care resources, particularly in regions with high infection rates.

Canada sees 30-per-cent drop in COVID cases

PBO: Work-from-home tax break to cost feds $260M

PBO: Work-from-home tax break to cost feds $260M
Workers who have been able to do their jobs remotely have been asked to do so since the spring as part of public health efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19.

PBO: Work-from-home tax break to cost feds $260M

RCMP cameras to cost $131 million over five years

RCMP cameras to cost $131 million over five years
A costing note Thursday said the RCMP is expected to purchase 12,500 camera subscriptions for use across the country at 700 detachments.

RCMP cameras to cost $131 million over five years