Health Minister Christian Dubé began his Tuesday afternoon update on the situation in Quebec with regard to COVID-19 by announcing that the Laval and Outaouais regions have had their alert status increased to orange, bringing the total number of regions in that second-highest alert level to five. Dubé also said that the Centre-du-Quebec region, which includes Drummondville and Victoriaville, was moved from green to yellow.
The health minister called the second wave of the virus “very different” from the first wave in the ways that it is manifesting, and added that it if proving to be different in its impacts from region to region.
“Even if this is not causing a large number of deaths and hospitalizations right now, it is causing harm,” Dubé said, arguing that the current community spread will weaken the healthcare network as it gradually makes its way to more vulnerable populations. That in mind, he shared that a weekly projection of the capacity of the healthcare network will be published beginning next week.
The province reported an additional 489 positive cases on Tuesday, marking the fourth day in a row that the provincial numbers exceeded 400 cases per day. An additional 20 people were hospitalized, although the number of people in intensive care decreased by 2 to 28.
In the Estrie region 16 new cases were reported while the number of hospitalizations remained stable at two.
In terms of the institutions and establishments with outbreaks being monitored in the region, one additional employee at the Lambton long term care home was confirmed to be COVID positive. The Refuge des Brasseurs Microbrewery, meanwhile had 16 cases linked to recent visits, while the outbreak at the Microdistillerie on Wellington Street picked up an additional ten.
Laval and Outaouais regions turn orange
Record Staff
