Trouble in CHSLDS isn’t over: Legault
There are still 41 CHSLDS where over 15 per cent of residents are infected
Premier François Legault has declared the reopening of elementary schools and daycares in regions outside Montreal a “great success,” with the government planning to use the experience to guide de-confinement in urban areas.
But Legault conceded the situation in seniors’ residences, especially CHSLDS, remains “fragile,” with more bad news looming as COVID-19 kills the most vulnerable.
“We’ll do all that we can to try and save as many as possible,” Legault said Thursday at his pandemic briefing. “But it’s terrible to talk about 4,000 deaths (most of them in residences).
“I still continue to express my sympathy with the people who died.”
While the good news is that the number of hospitalizations in Quebec dropped by 173 in a week, Legault said, there were another 74 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Of those deaths, 70 were in residences. The Quebec death toll is now 4,302.
Out of 2,600 public and private residences, 340 had at least one case of infection. A total of 2,725 people are still infected, down from a high of about 5,000 a few weeks ago.
There are 41 CHSLDS where more than 15 per cent of residents are infected — a number that points to more deaths over the course of the summer.
Again, Legault described two worlds: the one in residences and the one outside where things appear to be going better.
Legault and Dr. Horacio Arruda, director of public health, warned appearances may be deceiving — a reference to fresh modelling data released Thursday by the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ).
That data indicated many more infections and deaths will happen in July and August if citizens ignore rules such as physical distancing.
“We must not have a false sense of security because the weather is nice outside,” Legault said. “We must not think we are too good, because the virus will take advantage of us and roar back.
“If we want to continue with deconfinement, people have to follow the rules.”
Arruda went further, saying he needs two more weeks to see how Montreal is actually handling deconfinement.
“I am cautious, because I don’t know if my prescription (for health rules) will be followed 100 per cent,” said Arruda, sitting next to Legault.
He was much more cautious when it came to recent de-confinement announcements. For example, Tourism Minister Caroline Proulx announced Wednesday that campgrounds will reopen on June 1.
“In the final analysis, let’s be a bit patient,” Arruda said when asked whether an exodus of Montrealers to the country is a good idea. “When we see the effects of deconfinement in the metropolitan region, I will feel safer (making a call).”
The one de-confinement measure announced Thursday was the reopening of courthouses and administrative tribunals.
Arruda said the situation in the CHSLDS is always on his mind.
“Everybody has been shaken by this terrible story,” he said. “There will always be people more at risk
of the disease, but I think there are a lot of lessons learned.”
Legault was not letting up efforts to get more workers on the front lines. One day after announcing Quebec will launch a paid threemonth training course for CHSLD workers, he put his sales cap on.
“If you want to make a difference in people’s lives, we need you,” Legault said. While he noted the training can lead to a job as an orderly that pays $49,000 a year, “it’s not just about the money. There are good things happening in CHSLDS, too.”
He expressed disappointment at the news from Ottawa that the federal government will probably not be able to deliver on his request to leave Canadian Armed Forces personnel in Quebec until Sept. 15 to help in CHSLDS.
“Quebec pays its part of the army,” Legault said. “I understand there are other priorities, but ... I don’t see what could be more urgent than taking care of our people in CHSLDS.”
Responding to comments from federal Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, who said soldiers cannot be asked to continue working seven days a week without a break, Legault said it should be possible to adjust their schedules to work normal hours.
He said if Ottawa does remove soldiers, he would hope some could be left to help while efforts to hire more personnel continue. He said 458 CHSLD workers who were on sick leave returned to work Wednesday, lowering the total shortage to 9,279.
“Things might improve faster than we think,” Legault said. “The trend looks good.”