Page - 398 - in VULNERABLE - The Law, Policy and Ethics of COVID-19

VULNERABLE398 Derek Sloan questioned Dr. Tam’s loyalty, accusing her of working for the government of China.17 All of these racist incidents happened in a span of eight weeks. This racist hostility has affected how Asian Canadians cope with the pandemic. Some make efforts to demonstrate they are taking greater than necessary precautions. But when Asian Canadians were among the first in Canada to wear masks in public, these precautions were vilified and misunderstood as evidence Asian Canadians were the primary source of the virus.18 For others, the pandemic has meant more intense, remote, and lonely isolation to avoid confrontations and violence.19 Canada’s Pandemic Border Inclusions and Exclusions On March 16, 2020, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the Canadian border was closed to all persons showing symptoms of COVID-19 and foreign nationals, with some exceptions that included U.S. citizens.20 The government soon had to walk this back. A few days later, the government stated that temporary foreign workers and international students would also be exempted, but that refugee claimants at the Canada-U.S. border would be turned away.21 Since 17. Kathleen Harris, “Conservatives Blast MP Who Asked Whether Top Pandemic Doctor ‘Works for China’ as Scheer Steers Clear”, CBC News (23 April 2020), online: <www.cbc.ca/news/politics/sloan-tam-china-coronavirus-pandemic-1.5542497>. 18. Jonathan Hayward, “Cultures Clash over Wearing Masks Amid Virus”, The Globe and Mail (29 March 2020), online: <www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/ british-columbia/article-cultures-clash-over-wearing-masks-amid-virus/>; Tony Lin, “Want to hear something f***ed-up? While the entire dining industry is suf- fering from COVID, Chinese restaurants across US took the earliest hit months b4 the local outbreak, yet they were actually the most cautious & prepared, many were buying masks and sanitizers way earlier.” (29 April 2020 at 11:30), online: Twitter <twitter.com/tony_zy/status/1255519790950690826>. 19. Carol Liao, “This is why I’ve told my parents they aren’t to go out at all & my white husband is the only one going out to get groceries for both households. It’s COVID19 but also threat of racist acts. Not worth the risk. Sometimes this city really breaks my heart.” (23 April 2020 at 12:43), online: Twitter <twitter.com/ carolmliao/status/1253363805309898752>. 20. Maclean’s, “Justin Trudeau’s Address to the Nation on Border Restrictions: Full Transcript”, Maclean’s (16 March 2020), online: <www.macleans.ca/news/ canada/justin-trudeaus-address-to-the-nation-on-border-restrictions-full-tran- script/>. See Minimizing  the  Risk  of  Exposure  to  COVID-19  Coronavirus  Disease  in  Canada  Order  (Prohibition  of  Entry  into  Canada), PC 2020-0157. 21. Global News, “Temporary Foreign Workers Exempt from Some COVID-19 Travel Restrictions”, Global  News (20 March 2020), online: <globalnews.ca/