Page - 354 - in VULNERABLE - The Law, Policy and Ethics of COVID-19

VULNERABLE354 human right. And they must establish effective mechanisms, capable of preventing and providing meaningful accountability and remedies for violations of that right. There is a growing understanding in Canada that “the pandemic did not cause the crisis; it came along and caused a massive shock to the long-term care system, shining a harsh light on fractures in a sys- tem that was ripe for catastrophe.”82 The lack of comprehensiveness and the absence of effective human rights accountability mechanisms within our publicly funded system, have created and reinforced dis- criminatory barriers to care for many disadvantaged groups. For resi- dents in long-term care, caught in the battle against COVID-19, these fault lines have proven fatal. Moving forward, “The hope is that the deaths of so many people will not be in vain, and governments will finally take serious action.”83 82. Brown, supra note 59. 83. Mohammed Adam, “Long-term Care: Military Support is a Short-term Solution Only”, Ottawa  Citizen (1 May 2020) A7.