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Data and Surveillance (COVID-19)


National Surveillance for COVID-19

  • This document is an interim report issued by the federal government addressing COVID-19 surveillance in Canada and the importance of this tool in slowing the spread and minimizing health risks of COVID-19 for Canadians.
  • This report outlines the various surveillance goals and objectives developed throughout the pandemic, the ways COVID-19 cases are found and investigated, and how the provinces and territories report cases.

COVID-19 and Artificial Intelligence Research

  • This publication reveals how the Canadian government has utilized and supported the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to combat COVID-19 with respect to pharmaceutical research, medical services, public health, infrastructure, and the economy.
  • The federal government has helped fund various research initiatives in collaboration with AI organizations, the Canadian Institute of Health Research and the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research with help from Canadian

The Global Public Health Intelligence Network

  • This report highlights the Global Public Health Intelligence Network (GPHIN), which was developed by the Government of Canada and the World Health Organization as an early warning system to identify public health threats around the world.
  • This page describes how the GPHIN software application is utilized to aid the analyst team of the Public Health Agency of Canada and how this tool is used to inform the government's public policy decisions.

Personal Information Protection and Data Security in a Pandemic

  • This document discusses the responsibilities of the government in balancing between protecting personal data and utilizing data that will aid in the response to a pandemic.
  • Additionally, the report highlights the increased risk posed by the COVID-19 pandemic in cyber use especially because of the growing dependence placed upon technology platforms due to working from home and how this has revealed both security and privacy vulnerabilities.

Freedom of Expression and Access to Information During a Pandemic

  • When it comes to a crisis like COVID-19, the balance between freedom of expression and accessing truthful information can become more challenging especially when the spread of false information can lead to devastating consequences.
  • This report outlines the international and domestic approaches to freedom of expression and limiting the spread of misinformation regarding to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the legal and humanitarian challenges that arise when attem