Thousands of COVID body bags were quietly purchased by the Department of Public Works at the same time political aides looked for “success stories” to tell the public, Access To Information records show. Authorities feared a shortage of bags in the first weeks of the pandemic..“The department has awarded two contracts for the purchase of a quantity of 6,400 various body bags,” department managers wrote in a May 25, 2020 staff email. Contracts were signed without any public announcement with suppliers at Surgo Surgical Supply of Newmarket, Ont. and Stevens Company Ltd. in Anjou, Que..According to Blacklock's Reporter, deaths at the time numbered 7,100. Canada at no time faced a body bag shortage. Deaths to date number nearly 46,000..The Public Health Agency in internal emails feared it could not keep pace with the number of deaths. “It is a somber but necessary part of pandemic planning,” wrote staff..“Do we have enough body bags in the National Emergency Strategic Stockpile?” asked one Agency email. “Do we need special ones to deal with people who died from COVID-19?”.Managers replied they did “not think the Public Health Agency should order more body bags because there are no demand or supply issues.” The Agency ordered more just in case..“While it may be true there has been no request to date for body bags, it is reasonable…to instruct staff to order more, given the context at that time including what was happening in cities like New York, or Spain and Italy,” wrote staff..“This is also a commodity that can be cycled out for use as part of normal health system operations, so they can still be used by provinces and territories even if they are not necessary in the context of COVID-19,” said the memos..The Health Agency has acknowledged it failed to properly maintain supplies of medical goods as required. “Yes there are imminent shortages,” Dr. Howard Njoo, deputy chief public health officer, told reporters March 27, 2020. The Agency was mandated to stockpile a six months’ supply of masks, medical gowns and gloves..Publicly political aides were instructed to discuss only good news with media and the public. “We love good news!” said an April 13, 2020 staff email in the Prime Minister’s Office..Aides were told to detail “the most positive procurement updates” and “good things we can say” about pandemic management. News releases were written to “look good at least,” wrote Sabrina Kim, then-director of communications to the Prime Minister. “We could maybe use the success stories,” Kim wrote in a May 3, 2020 note to coworkers.
