Montreal public health director Dr. Mylène Drouin welcomed the new coronavirus restrictions announced by Quebec Premier François Legault on Tuesday.
The new measures include a two-week shutdown of non-essential businesses starting Dec. 25, a work-from-home directive for office employees starting Dec. 17 and a move to online learning for grade school and high school students also beginning on Dec. 17.
During a press conference Wednesday outlining the state of the health crisis in Montreal, Drouin said the measures are “necessary to make sure that we stop this important progression in the number of cases and, of course, the consequences on our health-care system.”
Drouin said the city is currently dealing with more than 242 outbreaks of COVID-19, 130 in schools, 41 in daycare centres, 172 in workplaces and 72 in health-care settings.
Sonia Bélanger president of the CIUSSS-du-Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, one of five regional health boards in Montreal, said the increase in community transmission is being felt in Montreal-area hospitals.
There are currently 384 COVID-19 patients requiring hospitalization, 52 of which are in intensive care. In just one week, the number of hospitalizations jumped by more than 100, Bélanger said.
Health officials are asking Montrealers to avoid going to the emergency room for minor health problems, as several hospitals are dealing with COVID-19 outbreaks, overcrowded emergency rooms and staff shortages.
Bélanger said there are 429 health-care workers off sick due to positive COVID-19 tests, while over 560 others are off as they await results.
“That’s a lot of personnel,” Bélanger said. “With the holidays just a few days away, these numbers worry us. The situation is deteriorating, which adds pressure on our health-care workers who already have their hands full.”
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante urged Montrealers to remain vigilant in the coming days and weeks.
“It’s difficult because we’re tired. It’s been nine months that we’ve been living with COVID but it feels like it’s been two years,” she said, adding that now is now not the time to give up.
She also urged Montrealers to do their part to help their “guardian angels.”
“The best way to support them is by following health guidelines to reduce the number of cases in hospital,” she said. “Let’s think about those who are on the front lines.”
Plante, while worried about the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the city, said the arrival of the vaccine is good news.
“We can see the light at the end of the tunnel,” she said.
Drouin said the first round of vaccinations, which began at the Donald Berman Maimonides Geriatric Centre — a long-term care facility (CHSLD) in Côte Saint-Luc — on Monday went well.
“We learned a lot. We were able to practise and see how we could make sure not to lose any doses that are really precious,” she said.
The second round of vaccinations is set to begin next week.
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“We will have small quantities of vaccine that will be available, so we are prioritizing seniors, CHSLDs and the health-care workers of those facilities,” Drouin said.
Health officials have identified five priority sites on the Island of Montreal, including Ste. Anne’s Hospital in the West Island, CHSLD Marie-Rollet located in the Rosemont borough, CHSLD Notre-Dame-de-la-Merci in Ahuntsic-Cartierville, CHSLD Saint-Henri in the Sud-Ouest and Maimonides.
The locations were chosen because the sites are big and because a large portion of residents living there are at risk and need protection.
The Ste. Anne’s Hospital has been dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak in recent weeks.
The facility is home to just over 400 patients, including around 100 veterans.
News that the vaccines are on the way is a huge relief for some.
“I will be delighted to have the vaccine because I think it’s the only chance,” said Wolf Solkin, a 97-year-old veteran of the Second World War.
“Even though I’m not totally sure of its efficacy and safety, as many people, I still think the odds are better if you take than if you don’t take it.”
— With files from Global’s Gloria Henriquez
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