COVID-19 in Quebec: What you need to know on Friday
1 million masks for Montreal; soldiers in CHSLDs test positive for virus
The latest:
- Quebec has 41,420 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and 3,401 people have died. That is an increase of 696 cases and 50 deaths from a day earlier.
- There are 1,822 people in hospital (a decrease of 13), including 191 (an increase of one) in intensive care. Here's a guide to the numbers.
- A 27-year-old Montreal woman has died from COVID-19. She is the youngest fatal case in the province so far.
- Four soldiers deployed to Quebec's long-term care homes have tested positive for the virus.
The Quebec government is donating one million masks to the greater Montreal area and $6 million in funding for public transit in the region to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic, Premier François Legault announced Friday.
Legault is calling on all Montrealers, and especially those who live in the city's hot zones, to wear a mask or other face covering when leaving the house.
"All people who can make their own mask, I invite you to do so," he said.
He also called on the province's youth and those who have recently started their careers to consider a profession in health care. He said the province is still facing a large shortage of nurses and patient attendants, especially in long-term care facilities.
Soldiers in CHSLDs test positive
The Department of National Defence confirmed to CBC News that four soldiers deployed to Quebec's CHSLDs have tested positive for COVID-19.
Another soldier working in a long-term care home in Ontario also came down with the virus.
More room for pedestrians, cyclists this summer
The City of Montreal will be temporarily converting a number of roads into pedestrian and cyclist corridors this summer, to give Montrealers more space outdoors as the weather improves.
The road network, which will include more than 100 kilometres of reconfigured roads, will allow people to "respect social distancing while allowing people to have a breath of fresh air," Mayor Valérie Plante said.
COVID-19's toll on poor neighbourhoods
As the virus continues to spread in the city and community transmission is on the rise, Montreal's poorest neighbourhoods are being devastated by its effects.
Montréal-Nord resident Marie Missoule Michaud's 39-year-old partner died April 30 after what she is certain were complications from the virus, though he was never ultimately tested because his death was so sudden.
Michaud said she wanted to share her family's story because so many others in her neighbourhood are experiencing similar loss.
"I'm in pain like everyone else," she says. "It's not just me."
Campgrounds still closed
Normally, the camping season kicks off Victoria Day long weekend. But, so far, the government isn't giving the green light for campgrounds to open.
The association Camping Québec is disappointed by the lack of news, and believes it is possible to respect physical distance on campgrounds.
Some outdoor activities are allowed, like hiking and fishing in some areas.
Investigating role of ventilation system
Quebec workplace health and safety board investigators are looking into CHSLD Vigi Mont-Royal, a long-term care home in Town of Mount Royal, where experts found particles of virus in the air of some rooms and a faulty ventilation system.
