But the Liquor Stores Were Kept Open

Because priorities:

The glaring shortcomings in Quebec’s long-term care homes were repeatedly flagged to authorities long before the novel coronavirus pandemic ravaged CHSLDs, the province’s ombudsman said Thursday.

Marie Rinfret pointed to several flaws in her annual report, saying the provincial government has failed to implement solutions to address longstanding failures in the eldercare system.

“Understaffing, employee burnout, lack of qualified workers and dilapidated premises — these problems, among others, gushed to the surface, if not to say exploded,” she wrote.

“And yet, the appalling state of long-term care resources that this picture paints has been repeatedly condemned for decades.”