Let’s thank the tradespeople too

I’d like to recognize and thank an unheralded segment of the workforce that has continued to keep us safe and cared for during this pandemic: tradespeople. Residential rental maintenance workers and cleaners, plumbers, electricians, HVAC technicians, internet/phone repair people, elevator technicians — the list goes on.

These people keep our homes and businesses functional so that we can live and work in safety and comfort. They provide services in areas that may be unsafe because of illness in the homes they go to. They work in relative anonymity and would be visible only if their services were not available. Thank you.

Selene Commerford, Orléans

This assisted-living home is doing great

Despite the sad news about seniors’ homes and longterm care, there is another perspective. My mom lives at an assisted-living home, Embassy West (EWSL). When the pandemic hit, EWSL closed its doors to visitors. As well, the PSWs working at EWSL who also went to other homes were no longer invited in, resulting in a staff shortage. EWSL hired new staff, at its own cost, to make up the shortfall. Staff had to commit to not working at other locations, a measure that created a COVID-19 safety cone.

Concerned families are given daily updates confirming no COVID -19 cases. Through-the-window conversations are scheduled. Anything dropped off is sanitized and installed (medical equipment) or provided to the resident. Staff has been responsive to concerns.

All this to say: We are hearing frightening stories about seniors’ residences.

But we need to applaud and shout from the rooftops that there are many responsibly managed and staffed seniors’ residences where management is making early and hard decisions to keep the vulnerable residents in their care safe and healthy.

All we can do is support them.

Hania Grabowski, Val-des-Monts

Retirement homes can be safe and fun

Suddenly all seniors’ residences, including retirement homes, are wrongfully put in the same category. Some concerned families quickly removed their loved ones from residences where they were well cared for and happy.

Those of us living happily in seniors’ residences must speak up and confirm that every day is a bonus when we are enjoying a friendly atmosphere, a caring, cautious staff, good neighbours, interesting activities (even a pool), well-balanced meals and an open door to our loved ones.

The past six years of my 100 in a residence have exceeded all expectation. Let’s hope that with the increasing deep concern of our government and health authorities, our many seniors will spend their last years feeling happy.

Val Willis, Ottawa

Rigorously test all long-term care staff

Re: Ontario projects COVID-19 community spread has peaked, while warning of worsening long-term care outcomes, April 20.

The only way to stop the spread of the virus among seniors living in our long-term care facilities is to rigorously test all the staff of these establishments and provide them with the proper personal protective equipment. I cannot think of a better way of tackling this problem.

It is the staff who go in and out of these institutions daily who are responsible for the spread of the virus among residents. The testing of staff on a recurrent basis has to be our priority. We must recognize that there are many carriers among the asymptomatic staff of our long-term care facilities and as long as we don’t test them rigorously, the vulnerable will continue to be victimized.

Jean-Serge Lauzon, Ottawa

All retail should be pickup or delivery

I am the sole proprietor of a small full-service café. Four weeks ago, I shifted my business model to a take-home specialty food store. We keep the door locked during our “open” hours until someone rings a bell. I open and close the door for the customers and keep careful track of which surfaces have been touched so we can sanitize accordingly.

In my opinion, we are not taking surface cross-contamination seriously enough in those businesses still open to the public. Grocery stores are a hot spot. I recommend that we push all retail to curbside pickup or delivery only. If the staff in these spaces could work freely without navigating around customers, those businesses could become very efficient at filling orders directly from the receiving areas, and cross-contamination could be better controlled. This would be safer for all.

Petra Graber, Carleton Place

Article on Korea was very helpful

Re: What happens after the COVID-19 Peak? April 20.

I was very impressed by Bruce Deachman’s article about COVID-19 in South Korea and Canada. It not only provides interesting statistical information about comparative deaths/million (we’ve fared much worse), but also offers believable explanations of why the Korean people are readier to adapt to “mitigation” measures.

Evelyn Gigantes, Ottawa

We must measure disease prevalence

Re: We’re modelling the extent of COVID-19 with flawed data. Let’s fix that, April 19.

Prof. Jack Siemiatycki’s article clearly highlighted the need for routine sampling and antibody testing of the population to determine disease prevalence for COVID-19. Without this information, our medical leaders have no idea where we really are with COVID-19. Yes, the curve with regard to those reporting may be flattening, but does this represent five per cent or 50 per cent of the population?

It is very disturbing that our medical leaders appear to be modelling simply on diagnosed cases and not looking at all into disease prevalence. As pointed out, without prevalence data all COVID-19 modelling is inaccurate. Given what is at stake, why are our medical experts not investigating prevalence?

Russ Redshaw, Carp

Pandemic reveals social inequality

The novel coronavirus pandemic is perceived as the “great equalizer,” affecting both the rich and the poor, but is it really? Rather, the pandemic responses have revealed the inequities among our policies, placing vulnerable populations last in line for support.

The H1N1 outbreak in 2009 disproportionately affected Indigenous communities and racialized impoverished neighbourhoods. Based on U.S. COVID-19 demographic data, Canada is likely on its way to repeating that history.

As the world scrambles to find a vaccine for COVID-19, Canada must not forget the need to fund existing immunization programs, as

1.5 million children globally die every year from vaccine-preventable diseases. Canada’s pledge to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and Gavi the Vaccine Alliance will demonstrate our stance to protect, regardless of location or socioeconomic status.

Nina Huynh, Ottawa

Canada’s response to virus too slow

Re: The advisory not issued: The consequences of Canada’s slow COVID-19 response, April 22.

Canada’s chief medical officer failed to press the government into earlier action on COVID-19. As a medical doctor, she should have picked up on earlier information flowing out of China about the seriousness and aggressiveness of this virus.

Quebec and Ontario also failed to pick up on early signals from an outbreak in a B.C. seniors’ residence.

Wray Koepke, Ottawa