Canada ranks 9th out of 15 nations in COVID-19 misery, according to a Canadian think tank..The Macdonald Laurier Institute’s COVID-19 Misery Index (CMI) compared Canada to 14 other peer nations for its effects on human health (Disease Misery), the efficiency of governments’ responses (Response Misery) and the economic costs associated with each country’s approaches (Economic Misery)..According to the MLI, advanced countries have lower vaccination rates than Canada, yet all have moved more quickly to reduce public health restrictions and open up their economies..Canada’s COVID cases, deaths, hospitalizations and ICU admittance remain low compared with peers, but death rates by other causes are high..“This suggests either an undercounting of COVID deaths or that some combination of limitations on access to surgeries and medical treatment, increases in overdoses and suicides, or other forms of preventable death occurred as a result of Canada’s response to COVID-19,” says MLI Senior Fellow and CMI designer Richard Audas..“Canada has had a respectable performance in the areas of Disease and Response Misery; the only outliers are more stringent public health measures, and increases in excess deaths compared to peers, including peers who had far higher COVID-19 related deaths.”.Canada’s 9th-place CMI ranking is better than the 11th place it recevied in June. Much of the improvement has been driven by a large uptake in the number of vaccines administered, which MLI views positively. Canada now ranks first in both first and second doses of the vaccine administered, giving it the second-best response rating..Canada also has the highest levels of “stringency,” a measure of restrictive public health measures like lockdowns, school and business closures and restrictions on gatherings. Countries with less vaccine protection than Canada have opened up their economies and reduced limits on personal freedoms more quickly..Economic data is not as regularly or consistently updated by the countries included in the index, so it was not been revised in this latest CMI update. Canada sits in last place in MLI for Economic Misery, with an F grade, due to high pandemic unemployment rates and comparatively high levels of added public debt that will burden Canadians for years to come..New Zealand, Norway, and Australia received top rankings, while the U.S., Italy, and Spain were worst. Canada was graded C+ for its 9th place standing..For more information, consult the links below..Check out the COVID Misery Index here.Read the update briefing here.Read the written analysis and full methodology here.Download the data for yourself using this link..Lee Harding is the Saskatchewan correspondent for the Western Standard.
Canada ranks 9th out of 15 nations in COVID-19 misery, according to a Canadian think tank..The Macdonald Laurier Institute’s COVID-19 Misery Index (CMI) compared Canada to 14 other peer nations for its effects on human health (Disease Misery), the efficiency of governments’ responses (Response Misery) and the economic costs associated with each country’s approaches (Economic Misery)..According to the MLI, advanced countries have lower vaccination rates than Canada, yet all have moved more quickly to reduce public health restrictions and open up their economies..Canada’s COVID cases, deaths, hospitalizations and ICU admittance remain low compared with peers, but death rates by other causes are high..“This suggests either an undercounting of COVID deaths or that some combination of limitations on access to surgeries and medical treatment, increases in overdoses and suicides, or other forms of preventable death occurred as a result of Canada’s response to COVID-19,” says MLI Senior Fellow and CMI designer Richard Audas..“Canada has had a respectable performance in the areas of Disease and Response Misery; the only outliers are more stringent public health measures, and increases in excess deaths compared to peers, including peers who had far higher COVID-19 related deaths.”.Canada’s 9th-place CMI ranking is better than the 11th place it recevied in June. Much of the improvement has been driven by a large uptake in the number of vaccines administered, which MLI views positively. Canada now ranks first in both first and second doses of the vaccine administered, giving it the second-best response rating..Canada also has the highest levels of “stringency,” a measure of restrictive public health measures like lockdowns, school and business closures and restrictions on gatherings. Countries with less vaccine protection than Canada have opened up their economies and reduced limits on personal freedoms more quickly..Economic data is not as regularly or consistently updated by the countries included in the index, so it was not been revised in this latest CMI update. Canada sits in last place in MLI for Economic Misery, with an F grade, due to high pandemic unemployment rates and comparatively high levels of added public debt that will burden Canadians for years to come..New Zealand, Norway, and Australia received top rankings, while the U.S., Italy, and Spain were worst. Canada was graded C+ for its 9th place standing..For more information, consult the links below..Check out the COVID Misery Index here.Read the update briefing here.Read the written analysis and full methodology here.Download the data for yourself using this link..Lee Harding is the Saskatchewan correspondent for the Western Standard.
