Jérôme (Jerry) Lalonde: Dec 25, 1931 -- July 10, 2020.
My father-in-law. Another victim of #COVID19.
For journalists, the pandemic is a professional challenge; but it's a personal one too.

He was diagnosed with a suspected case of Covid-19 on Thursday, died Friday (still no test results.) But isolation and loneliness were a large contributing factor. Before the pandemic, my 89-year-old father-in-law still played tennis, volunteered daily at his church.... /2

....played bridge, was a voracious reader and loved the social life in his nursing home. The home was great, but it's been locked down four months. All activities ceased. He couldn't even get a library book. He missed his family horribly - they used to visit a lot.... /3

Because of the lockdown, my active, healthy father-in-law became de-conditioned, depressed, lonely. His life ceased to have meaning and purpose. He knew he was dying even before he contracted the coronavirus. Dying of loneliness, isolation and neglect.... /4

The rigid lockdown of nursing homes and long-term care homes must end. #COVID19 is not the only health threat to seniors in institutional care. They need their families, they need human contact as much as they need protection from the coronavirus. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-its-time-to-let-families-visit-long-term-care-homes/ /5