National Post: 'The crisis erupted because too few resources had been put into caring for the aged. Governments saw the elderly as important, but not a priority. Facilities were inadequate, staff members were underpaid and often poorly treated, money was tight, administrators were iffy and emergency procedures proved grossly inadequate for the wave of infections that hit them.
'The result: according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, long-term care residents accounted for three per cent of all COVID cases, but 43 per cent of deaths. This is a worthwhile figure to keep in mind while considering the latest census figures from Statistics Canada. Canadians over 85 represent one of the fastest-growing groups in the country. Between 2016 and 2021, the population of over-85s grew by 12 per cent.'