End of pandemic restrictions causing 'great deal of fear' for some N.S. seniors

When Rev. Dianne Parker is out and about and spots a person under 50 wearing a mask, she often strikes up a conversation.

"I thank them for helping to protect the older generation," says the 75-year-old who lives in north-end Halifax.

Nova Scotia has recently seen its highest case counts and deaths of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the province's latest epidemiological summary released Thursday, it said the median age of deaths since Dec. 8, 2021, is 81. It noted: "The risk of death is 85 times higher for those aged 70 years and older compared to those younger than 50."

Parker, one of the ministers at St. Mark's Anglican Church in Halifax, is worried about how the Nova Scotia government is managing the pandemic and the impact this is having on seniors.

At a time when a lack of public health restrictions means Nova Scotians are free to go out and do as they please, Parker said it's forcing seniors to stay in and become more isolated.

"There really is a great deal of fear," she said.

Parker said she's "withdrawn a bit," noting she's turned down invitations to gatherings and hasn't been out for dinner at a restaurant since the province lifted the proof-of-vaccination requirement for non-essential activities on Feb. 28 .

Bill VanGorder said he's hearing the same things from seniors he knows. He's the spokesperson for the Nova Scotia chapter of CARP, formerly the Canadian Association of Retired Persons.

"They know they're not being protected by Public Health in the same way they were before," said VanGorder.

He said seniors have lots of questions — and they're not getting answers.

"Why isn't the government saying everybody should wear a mask?" said VanGorder. "Because they feel very uncomfortable going into those kinds of places where many, many people, if not a majority of people, aren't wearing masks anymore."

VanGorder attributes the lack of answers in part to the fact officials haven't been holding regular COVID-19 briefings. The last time the province streamed a briefing was April 14.

"Those were very important to [seniors] and they seemed to feel comforted and encouraged by the fact that these officials, who they trusted, were regularly telling them what was happening," he said.