The Easter holiday did not encourage the COVID-19 to give the population a respite, despite a drop in the number of hospitalizations. Emergency rooms are very busy this Easter weekend and authorities are urging Quebecers to avoid going there as much as possible.
In the greater Montreal area, the various integrated health and social services centers (CIUSSS) have all reported heavy traffic. They asked people to consult a pharmacist or call the Info-Santé line at 811 for minor problems rather than going to a hospital.
“When to go to the emergency room? Only if your condition requires immediate care,” reads their Facebook page.
Health Minister Christian Dubé said he was concerned on Friday that 13,000 health care workers were missing due to COVID-19 and had anticipated that “it will be difficult in emergencies in both coming weeks”, but that the network would hold firm.
On Friday, the CIUSSS de l’Outaouais announced the temporary suspension of visits until further notice in the seven hospitals in the region. Those in Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Chaudière-Appalaches had to reduce certain services in one or more establishments.
Several CIUSSS reminded some cautionary advice, in particular to avoid large Easter gatherings. They recommend people leave windows open to circulate air and stay home if they experience symptoms of COVID-19 such as fatigue or throat irritation.
Decline in hospitalizations
According to raw data from the Ministry of Health, there are 2,131 patients in Quebec hospitals, a drop of 22 from Thursday.
People over the age of 70 represent more than 55% of hospitalizations.
The number of patients in intensive care stands at 105, nine more than on Thursday.
The Ministry of Health reports 4,124 new cases of COVID-19 in two days, for a total of 1,015,878 since the start of the pandemic. However, the number of cases listed is not representative of the situation since access to screening centers is restricted to priority clienteles.
The raw data also indicates that 19 deaths have been added to the death toll linked to COVID-19.
According to the Vaccintrackerqc.ca website, 33,406 doses of vaccine have been administered in the past 24 hours. Among those aged 5 and over, 91.35% received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, 87.53% received at least two doses and 58.36% received a third dose.