In Ottawa, politicians were losing patience with PHAC. The agency tasked with protecting Canada from a pandemic was still reluctant to take bold action, whether it was border closures, mandatory quarantines, banning mass gatherings, or introducing the public to physical-distancing interventions.
Two individuals who were involved in the many policy debates at PHAC said the agency is encumbered by needing to consult with the provinces before moving forward with a policy, since provinces manage health care. Particularly as it concerned the testing criteria, one individual said: “Sometimes it was the provinces dragging their feet and sometimes it was the feds. People were really worried [that a broad definition] would overwhelm testing capacity.”
On March 4, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland assumed control of the COVID-19 file. By the weekend of March 7, Ms. Freeland was already firmly in favour of stronger border measures – even though PHAC wasn’t ready to take that step – and developing plans with other cabinet ministers to ensure the move would not create chaos or stop the import of medical equipment and food, federal sources said.
