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1) In what has been hailed as “V-Day,” nurses in Quebec and Ontario gave the first shots of #COVID19 to long-term care residents and staff Monday. But this vaccination effort will take months to complete. In this thread, I'll focus instead on the worsening contagion in Quebec.
2) The province on Monday reported its highest number of #COVID19 outbreaks to date in the #pandemic: 1,432. Schools posted the biggest single-day increase: 17 to 395 clusters, suggesting that transmission of the #coronavirus may be growing worse in the educational sector.
3) By comparison, health-care institutions, daycares and workplaces across Quebec confirmed three new #COVID19 outbreaks each on Monday. Please see the chart below.
4) As of Friday, there were a record 4,591 active cases of #COVID19 among students and staff in the province’s schools, according to the latest chart by the Quebec Education Ministry. That compares with only 507 active cases less than three months ago, on Sept. 17.
5) The school #COVID19 infections comprise more than 27% of all the province’s active cases. On Monday, the province reported a total of 16,656 cases, up by 99 from the day before, according to the Institut nationale de santé publique du Québec.
6) Along with the escalation in cases is the steady rise in hospitalizations to 890 in the province, up by 10 since Sunday. But there are fewer nurses than ever to treat patients, with the Eastern Townships appealing for reinforcements on Monday. See below.
7) In addition to hospitalizations, there were 2,276 active #COVID19 cases in the province’s long-term care centres and private seniors’ residences Monday, the highest to date in the second wave. What’s more, another 17 residents died from the #pandemic illness.
8) Meanwhile, despite a drop in #COVID19 cases Monday, Montreal’s seven-day average rose to its highest yet: 28.31 infections per 100,000 residents. Again, it’s worth noting the city has since Friday crossed a threshold set by Harvard University experts to impose a lockdown.
9) At the neighborhood level, five health districts in Montreal posted more than 60 #COVID19 cases each, following the usual weekend dip in tests. The chart below shows that community transmission is sadly everywhere.
10) All the notables were on hand for Monday's launch of the vaccine at the Maimonides Geriatric Centre. That same day, Quebec declared 25 more #COVID19 deaths. This virus will be circulating for many more months. Let's not lower our guard. End of thread. https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/covid-19-vaccination-ready-to-begin-in-montreal
