After being exposed to Covid, Trudeau has isolated himself
Key takeaways:
- On Thursday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that he would be isolated for five days after learning that he had been exposed to someone with Covid-19.
- The biopharmaceutical company that collaborated with Bharat Biotech in India to manufacture Covaxin in North America has agreed to purchase a manufacturing facility in Canada.
After studying that he had been revealed to someone with Covid-19, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that he would be isolated for five days on Thursday. He added, however, that the rapid test he had taken went negative.
In a tweet on Thursday, Trudeau said, "Last night, I understood that I have been exposed to Covid-19." "I got a negative rapid test result."
He claimed he abided by all health regulations and had been self-isolating for the past five days.
"I'm in good shape and plan to work from home." "Please get vaccinated and stay safe, everyone," he said. Trudeau, 50, is fully vaccinated and received a Covid-19 vaccine booster dose in January at an Ottawa pharmacy.
Additional information was unavailable.
In March 2020, when the global epidemic first hit Canada, Trudeau self-isolated after his wife Sophie Gregoire had been infected while on a trip to England.
Canada is the world's leading producer of covaxin.
The biopharmaceutical firm partnered with India's Bharat Biotech to manufacture Covaxin in North America has agreed to buy a manufacturing facility in Canada.
Ocugen, based in Pennsylvania, declared that it had signed a non-binding letter of intent with Liminal BioSciences, a Canadian company, to acquire their manufacturing facility in Belleville, Ontario.
Covaxin will be "the first product made in a new upgraded facility" if approved, according to an Ocugen press release.
Vaccigen, Ocugen's Canadian subsidiary, has applied to Health Canada for an emergency use permission of the vaccine. Ocugen intends to repurpose Canada's decommissioned vaccine production facility and expand capacity.
"With the help of the regional talent pool, this site, after a change into a state-of-the-art hub, can help bring our inventive products – from vaccines to our modifier gene therapy assets – to the sick people we will serve globally," said Ocugen chairman and CEO Dr. Shankar Musunuri.
François-Philippe Champagne, Canada's minister of advancement, science, and industry, facilitated the meeting between Ocugen and Liminal.
On June 30, Covaxin was submitted to Health Canada. Regulators have yet to decide when and if the vaccine will be approved for use in Canada.
"A decision would be made once all of the necessary information has been thoroughly assessed by Health Canada," the agency stated in a tweet earlier this month. It's impossible to say when a regulatory decision would be made because the review is still ongoing."
Health Canada conducts an independent review of vaccine applications and approves products based on "scientific rigour and medical evidence."
"The timing of Health Canada's review is dependent on several factors, including the requirement for additional data, convos with the sponsor, and requirements for safety data updates," it added.
The World Health Organization (WHO) authorized covaxin for emergency use in November 2021. Since November 30, when the nation began accepting those with 2 doses of Covaxin as fully immunized for travel purposes, Canada has recognized it.