Health minister calls on Quebecers to be extra cautious

Health Minister Christian Dubé announced Friday that the regions encompassing the Montreal Metropolitan Community and the Rivière-du-Nord MRC were moving to orange alert level.
Dubé’s decision was based on information from Quebec’s public health officials, who have been monitoring the situation in these regions and watching the evolution of the pandemic situation. The move is essentially to curb the transmission of COVID-19, according to a press release.
The health minister also asked all Quebecers, regardless of region or alert status, to limit their contact with other people as much as possible for the next 28 days. He specifically asked people to cancel any dinners planned with family or friends, barbecues, weddings, or any other celebration.
While there are many reasons to celebrate, such as an anniversary, Dubé said he wants to limit large gatherings in private residences.
“It’s a temporary sacrifice to break the second wave. The situation is worrisome and I once again invite Quebecers to apply the measures rigorously and to be vigilant in the coming weeks,” Dubé said.
He also asked that Quebecers cooperate with health officials’ investigations by answering the phone. In order to indicate the importance of the phone call, ‘public health’ will be displayed on the screen.
The importance of these measures is underlined by the fact that the provincial case load increased by 2,231 over the weekend, with just under 900 confirmed on Sunday. The number of hospitalizations increased to 216, 41 of which were in intensive care as of this writing, and the number of deaths related to COVID-19 increased to 5,825.
In the Estrie region, the total number of cases since the start hit 1,711 with the news of 37 new cases on Sunday. Locally the news of the weekend was an increasingly dire situation at the Granby hospital.
In a press release issued Sunday, the CIUSSS de l’Estrie – CHUS confirmed three separate outbreaks in three different parts of the facility. The first included five staff members and four hospital users, the second with seven hospital users, and the third with under five cases.
As a result of the situation, the hospital has suspended all visiting, although those facing medical emergencies or scheduled medical appointments can and should still make use of the facilities’ services. Masks, frequent hand-washing, and social distancing will be required to access the hospital.

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