S’y prendre is an idiomatic expression. See item 3ème section, III of the TLFi definition
III. − S’y prendre .Agir d’une certaine manière en vue d’obtenir un résultat déterminé. Synon. s’arranger, procéder, se débrouiller.
So it basically means to start to act.
S’y prendre assez tôt thus means to start to act soon enough. Combined with the negative and compound past, you get that [the government] was too late in starting the embalming work.
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