Globe editorial: Maybe now the Trudeau government can get back to tackling Canada’s real problem – the pandemic

Canada’s pandemic record is less than stellar: nearly 10,000 deaths, hundreds of billions of dollars of economic activity lost, hundreds of billions of dollars of government deficits acquired, and hundreds of thousands of jobs still missing.

That includes running most of the country’s testing and contact tracing.

Back in the spring, Canada did not have enough testing to quickly find out who had the virus, or enough contact tracers to quickly track down their close contacts.

More testing and contact tracing doesn’t eliminate the need for physical distancing or targeted business closings, but it offers the possibility of reducing their use, and reducing their economic costs.

Every dollar spent on testing and contact tracing offers the hope of keeping many more dollars of economic activity going, safely.

Imagine if provinces and local health authorities – Toronto weeks ago suspended most contact tracing, its small team of tracers overwhelmed by cases – had the resources to tackle the threat.

The Trudeau government deserves credit for rolling out tens of billions of dollars of spending to support jobless Canadians and shuttered businesses.

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