The groups at the daycare will remain open in the Quebec metropolis even if a case of COVID-19 is detected, confirmed the regional public health directorate of Montreal in Duty, which represents a change of course from its position of January 3.
“The high risk cases are the home cases. In the daycare, it is considered a moderate risk contact, explains Jean-Nicolas Aubé, spokesperson for the CIUSSS du Center-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal. Everything indicates that we will stick to the new directive ”.
Montreal is therefore likely to follow Quebec’s directives, which should be sent to the network today. According to instructions submitted yesterday by the Public Health of Montreal and concerning childcare services, that The duty had obtained, this therefore means that an asymptomatic child or employee can continue to attend daycare if a positive case is detected. “People without symptoms of COVID-19 can continue to attend daycare and continue with their daily activities,” writes in a document written by the Team for the prevention and management of COVID-19 outbreaks in the midst of keep.
But if he develops symptoms, he will have to self-isolate for 24 hours. He will be able to return to the daycare if two rapid tests are negative during this period. These rules do not apply to people who have had COVID-19 since December 20, it is specified.
In the event of contact at home, however, the child must isolate himself for five days and can return to the daycare if he obtains a negative result with a rapid test. A person who had COVID-19 after December 20 is considered immune for 60 to 90 days from the end of the isolation period, according to the document.
Montreal Public Health suspended a new Quebec directive at the beginning of January, which no longer required mandatory isolation for children or educators who have been in contact with a person positive for COVID-19 at the daycare. . Quebec then reverted to this directive a few days later.
How to explain this change of position in Montreal? “The regional public health directorates have the right to make specific decisions,” explains Jean-Nicolas Aubé. Two weeks ago, our teams judged that the directive did not correspond to the reality on the ground. But times are changing, things are changing ”.