Montreal is on the right track after three months of lockdown measures aimed at slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus, the city’s director of public health said on Tuesday.
Dr. Mylène Drouin told reporters the city is seeing a decrease in COVID-19 cases — especially in the last month — since the health crisis began. She said 40 new cases were reported on Tuesday from the previous day.
“We really are at the lowest numbers we’ve had in March, which is a situation that is improving and that’s very positive,” she said. “In the past two weeks, this is a considerable and significant lowering.”
As a result, the public health department is going to phase out mobile screening clinics in Montreal as of June 19.
Drouin said there are 35 outbreaks in workplaces in Montreal as of Tuesday. There have been no outbreaks in daycares and one case has been reported in a school since they reopened, she added.
There are at least 76 long-term care homes on the island that have at least one active case, according to Drouin. In Quebec, those facilities have been hit hardest by the crisis.
Some boroughs remain more affected than others, she added, but many of the hot spots are seeing a decrease in cases.
“This is a positive outlook but we do have to maintain our distancing measures,” she said.
Montrealers who have symptoms of COVID-19 or have been in contact with a person who has tested positive should be tested. She said preparations are also being made for a potential second wave.
“We can’t not prepare for it,” she said.
Quebec has reported 54,146 cases and 5,269 deaths linked to COVID-19 as of Tuesday. Since the pandemic began, it has led the country in cases and deaths.
Montreal is the epicentre of the virus’ outbreak in Canada with 26,757 infections. It accounts for more than half of Quebec’s death toll at 3,216 fatalities.
— With files from the Canadian Press
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