The role of government in protecting the public during a public health emergency

Protecting the public is a key role of all levels of government in Canada. This role takes many forms. During a public health emergency, preparation, timely and evidence-based decisions, considering the unique needs of vulnerable populations, and balancing between action taken to protect the public while being cognizant of the impact of such actions on the longer-term well-being of the public, particularly equity-deserving groups, is critical. This article reflects on some of our historical failures in public health to protect the public in Canada, the lessons learned, how these impacted our experience during COVID-19, and how the related framework for optimizing our work can protect the public in future events.