1) Quebec posted 21 more #COVID19 outbreaks across the province Monday, raising the total number to 1,678, the highest to date in the #pandemic. In this short thread, I will assess what impact this trend could have on the government’s so-called holiday pause.
2) When Quebec first made public breakdowns of #COVID19 outbreaks on Nov. 5, the tally at the time was 1,406. In the more than six weeks since those first stats were released, the number of outbreaks in health-care institutions has more than doubled: from 186 to 387 Monday.
3) The #COVID19 spike in health-care institutions suggests hospitalizations may rise despite the closing of non-essential businesses for two weeks, with schoolchildren at home until Jan. 11. This is what the Institut national de sante publique (INSPQ) has to say on the subject:
4) “If the holiday break helps reduce community transmission, but major outbreaks in (the health sector) rise and health-care workers continue to be infected, the model predicts the number of hospitalizations and deaths could increase substantially,” warns a study by the INSPQ.
5) What’s more, public-health experts in Quebec are warning the holiday pause may already be too little, too late, as my colleague @JesseFeith reports tonight in the @mtlgazette. montrealgazette.com/news/local-new…
6) On Monday, the province reported its 5th day in a row of #COVID19 hospitalizations above 1,000 even as the health network struggles with a shortage of nurses and other medical staff. The number of hospitalizations jumped by 38 since Sunday.
7) There were 46 critical #COVID19 outbreaks in long-term care centres (CHSLDs) and seniors’ residences (RPAs) across the province on Monday, up from 25 exactly three weeks ago. There were 2,543 people infected with the #coronavirus in these institutions, up by 71 since Sunday.
8) Meanwhile, Montreal logged its second day of #COVID19 cases in the 700-range. The city’s seven-day average has crept to its highest point in the #pandemic: 30.89 cases per 100,000 residents, well above the 25 threshold set by Harvard University experts for a total lockdown.
9) Finally, Montreal’s #COVID19 death toll climbed by a dozen to 3,761 Monday. The province gave another 115 Quebecers their first of two vaccinations the day before. Thus, here is where Quebec may now be before the holiday pause: too little, too late. End of thread. Stay safe.
Addendum: My apologies for the late thread tonight and the fact that there are no graphics, but I ran into some computer problems earlier which I have since fixed.
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