The metropolis last week experienced an explosion of 100% of COVID-19 cases in the workplace, with some 91 outbreaks responsible for 490 infections in several sectors of the island of Montreal. It is not yet known whether the Omicron variant is at the origin of this rise.
According to the most recent report of active outbreaks which dates from December 14 and which was released by the Direction régionale de santé publique de Montréal, the number of infections contracted in the workplace has jumped from 232 to 460 in a single week, and almost half of these cases are concentrated in the manufacturing and processing sector.
Last week, a major outbreak in a business on the West Island of Montreal alone was responsible for 78 cases of COVID-19 out of the 117 reported in this industry. However, in one week, the number of outbreaks in this sector and in this type of work environment rose to 5, and no less than 122 people were affected.
It was also in the west of the island that one of the first cases of the Omicron variant identified in Quebec was reported last Friday. Public health has also called on the population who attended on December 1, 4, 5 and 6 a physical fitness center in Kirkland and a library in Lasalle to go and get tested.
The Direction générale de santé publique de Montréal (DGSPM) did not want to comment on Wednesday morning on the possible links between this increase in outbreaks and the arrival of the Omicron variant. The DGSPM will hold a press briefing at 2 p.m. to take stock of the situation in the metropolis.
There are also 43 new outbreaks in all workplaces, several of which total more than ten cases, some more than 20 cases. All areas of the island are affected by these outbreaks, but the west and north of the island are particularly hard hit with 155 cases and 105 active cases, respectively. Manufactures, as well as restaurants, bars and retail stores, for their part, add more than 110 cases to this heavy toll as the holidays approach.
The bulk of infections, however, remain concentrated in schools, which totaled 574 active cases out of the 1,489 identified last week in Montreal. This is a slight increase from the previous week (497). In daycare services, we also observe a certain slowdown in the growth of cases with 219 infections compared to 181 on December 7.