Public Health Agency unprepared for pandemic, ‘underestimated’ COVID-19: federal audit

Canada’s Auditor General Karen Hogan says PHAC’s risk-assessment tool was not ready for pandemic, and its data-surveillance agreements and tools put it in poor stead to properly track the spread.

Canada's Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam is the lead spokesperson for the Public Health Agency of Canada, which the federal auditor found hadn’t properly tested pandemic plans ahead of COVID-19. PHAC agreed with the audit’s seven recommendations. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

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BY SAMANTHA WRIGHT ALLEN

March 25, 2021

The Public Health Agency of Canada “underestimated” the impact of COVID-19 in the early days of the virus’ spread and was not “adequately prepared” to respond to the pandemic, failing to address long-standing issues bef...

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