Withered Public Health Agency Forced to Scramble on COVID 19, Auditor General Finds

Withered Public Health Agency Forced to Scramble on COVID 19, Auditor General Finds
Health Minister Patty Hajdu listens at a COVID-19 press conference in Ottawa, Canada, on Dec. 11, 2020. The Canadian Press/David Kawai
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OTTAWA—A withered Public Health Agency of Canada dithered on pandemic preparedness, the federal auditor general has concluded, leaving officials no choice but to scramble to respond to COVID-19.

And if such a scramble is to be avoided in the future, auditor general Karen Hogan found, it’s time for an independent review of the eternal Canadian conundrum: why can’t all levels of government work together better?