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1) In just the past four days, the number of #COVID19 outbreaks in Quebec schools and daycares has climbed by 15 across the province, reinforcing the importance of improving ventilation in these facilities. In this thread, I will return to the subject of portable air filtration.
2) Since last Thursday, the number of outbreaks in Quebec workplaces declined from 697 to 683. However, #COVID19 clusters rose to 383 from 374 in schools, underscoring how the #coronavirus in this milieu is driving community transmission. Outbreaks in daycares rose by six to 78.
3) In its latest report, the Quebec Education Ministry added 153 more #COVID19 cases in a single day to a record tally of 2,660, according to the chart below. What’s more, 27 more schools across the province were identified as having at least one case for a total of 900.
4) Since Sunday, http://covidecolesquebec.org has reported at least 19 more schools with at least one case among students and staff. As the weather grows colder, the likelihood will increase of the #coronavirus spreading even more in the school environment without proper ventilation.
5) Yet as I reported a week ago, most Montreal schools don't plan to purchase portable air purifiers. The one shining exception is the Lester B. Pearson Board, which will invest a half million dollars to purchase HEPA air purifiers for 16 schools. Bravo! https://www.iheartradio.ca/cjad/news/lester-b-pearson-board-buying-air-purifiers-for-some-schools-other-boards-resort-to-open-windows-1.13919287
6) On Monday, President-Elect Joe Biden announced a scientific board to advise the U.S. government in the #pandemic. Biden has pledged “alternations to (school) building ventilation.” In contrast, Quebec has allocated $20 million for maintenance only of existing ventilation.
7) Meanwhile, Montreal posted 285 cases Monday. (See below.) The city’s seven-day average inched up to 127.67 infections per million population from 123.44 the day before. Nearly 40 days after Quebec imposed a partial lockdown, Montreal is still stuck in a #COVID19 plateau.
8) A similar plateau is also being observed in the number of #COVID19 hospitalizations in the city. At the McGill University Health Centre, a total of 28 people were being hospitalized Monday for the #pandemic illness, about the same as a week ago. See the chart below.
9) At the neighborhood level, three health districts in the city with dozens of crowded public schools posted 113 #COVID19 cases Monday. The densely populated health district of Côte-des-Neiges, downtown and Parc Extension reported the lion’s share of cases.
10) To conclude, if one Montreal school board can find the money to invest in HEPA air filters, why can’t the Quebec government find the funds to do the same for all schools so that children won't have to freeze in their coats during winter with the windows open? End of thread.
