The Leader of the Official Opposition is calling on the Higgs government to ease the significant and detrimental COVID-19 restrictions on palliative care patients and their families.

“The number of heartbreaking stories of people who have been unable to provide comfort to dying parents or other family members grows daily.  So do the pleas for government to have a heart and implement a plan to safely allow dying patients some comfort from their loved ones and their families a chance to say goodbye,” said Melanson.  “Palliative care experts have weighed in about how very important it is for people to spend those final moments with a loved one. These stories tug at everyone’s heart strings. It’s time that the Higgs government takes action.”

While fully supporting measures to keep New Brunswickers safe and to ensure Public Health orders are followed, Melanson suggests that the current restrictions are inhumane, and government must look at all available options to address the issue including arranging palliative care at home.

“New Brunswick is doing well in terms of controlling the virus but I fear that the restrictions on families coping with the stress of having family members in palliative care are having a significant impact on their mental health” added Melanson.  “Protection of the public must be paramount, but as a civil society we must look at how we can do that while providing palliative patients and their families the opportunity to provide comfort and be together in these final moments.”