Public health confirms that the 69 cases in Montreal schools come from social gatherings

Montreal public health director Mylène Drouin gave a press conference this morning to appeal for vigilance at private social gatherings, which they say have been the source of the recent spike in cases and small outbreaks of COVID-19, including cases in schools and senior homes.

“As of today, Montreal is in the green zone,” said Drouin, referring to Quebec’s new COVID-19 alert system, “but we must be vigilant because all the indicators are increasing over the last two weeks in terms of the number of cases but also the positivity rates of the testing. The good news is that we have very few outbreaks in workplace settings. There are 20 outbreaks currently under investigation, with one in a kindergarten. 
With the reopening of schools, we are investigating a lot of cases: 69 cases in 64 schools. There are only two small outbreaks, which are well-controlled at the moment. Those cases are generating a lot of contacts, and the consequence is that those families will need to stay home for 14 days.

“We don’t have any new outbreaks in bars, which is a good thing. What is preoccupying us are the small outbreaks in Montreal that come from social gatherings — parties, dinners, weddings and social activities such as sports. We must be more vigilant when doing social activities, as those small outbreaks are the source of cases in schools and in senior homes, where the outcome may be more dramatic. So we ask that people the more vigilant when they are doing social activities and to respect the public health recommendations.”

For more information about COVID-19 in the city, please visit the Santé Montréal website.

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