The results are in from an audit that examined the early pandemic warning system.
The February audit was order by Health Minister Patty Hajdu after reports indicated that the Global Public Health Intelligence Network did not function as intended at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
The audit indicated that the monitoring system did identify the outbreak of the pneumonia that would become COVID-19 on the night of December 30, 2019, however a formal alert was not sent immediately, which the report indicated forced international partners that rely on Canada’s information to go to other sources.
The audit also concluded that prior to the pandemic, the alert system lacked standard operating procedures.
The authors of the audit added that senior managers also didn’t fully understand the rationale and the intended audience for alerts.
