Seniors treated like inmates

Re: Ontario's cruel treatment of seniors, Vivian Bercovici, Oct. 16

Canada's former ambassador to Israel, Vivian Bercovici, in her open letter to Premier Doug Ford, was hard hitting but described the plight of our seniors during the pandemic perfectly. The province has shuttered these people, who are trying to live out the rest of the few years that remain in dignity, like inmates on death row and probably worse.

Completely shutting down long-term care centres has caused far more damage than anything else; being away from family and friends is terrible for any age group but to deprive these people — who for the most part have worked hard, paid their taxes and helped build communities — of life's basic needs is horrendous and will go down in history as a terrible black mark. I hope Doug Ford reads this piece and rethinks his strategy for the elderly. Time is of the essence.

Stephen Flanagan, Ottawa