In what appears to be one of his last moves as Quebec’s National Director of Public Health, Dr.r Horacio Arruda asked shelters for people experiencing homelessness to increase their capacity so that “no one is forced to sleep outside in these extreme colds”.
According to the email, of which The Canadian Press obtained a copy, Dr Arruda calls on organizations helping homeless people to ignore COVID-19 for the next few nights, when the mercury is expected to drop below -20 ° C in Montreal and elsewhere in Quebec. He asks shelters to open their dormitories “according to the capacity established before the pandemic, regardless of the outbreak status of the environment”.
The director of public health sent the request in the early evening on Monday, just hours before news of his resignation was made public.
Always according to the content of the email from Dr Arruda, we can read that “the distancing instructions in connection with COVID-19 can not prevail over human life”.
In addition to asking to increase the reception capacity of the shelters, the Dr Arruda asks municipalities to open their public places for the night. He cites as an example public transport infrastructure, libraries or community halls.
He also addresses the police, asking them to “show leniency” to allow people in the street to warm up inside the porticoes of buildings.
Emergencies are also invited not to give leave to homeless patients.