The Auditor General's report found that PHAC failed to “assess the pandemic risk” posed by COVID-19 or the “potential impact were it to be introduced into Canada”. As a result, the Auditor General found that the agency “underestimated” the potential danger of COVID-19 and continued to assess the risk as low until after the World Health Organization had declared a global pandemic. By then, Canada had already recorded over 400 confirmed cases, and community spread was under way.
Minister, do you take responsibility for that failure?