That was just pure stupidity, I thought at the beginning they were covering it up so they could prepare without the public going crazy and without any possible leaks.
We have technology to prevent such things already, they are called cyanide pills.
Which makes me wonder why no one stole a page from the Reaper's play book and sent sleeper ships to hide off in dark space or off in cubby holes that the Reapers wouldn't look. I mean the Protheans almost survived by hiding out in stasis.