COVID-19: jump in hospitalizations in Quebec

COVID-19 indicators are not favorable in the Capitale-Nationale region, with a notable increase in cases over the past week and a jump in hospitalizations.

As of Monday, 70 people are hospitalized in designated hospitals in the region, six of whom require intensive care. Sixteen more beds are occupied compared to last Friday.

Listen to journalist Alexandre Dubé with Benoît Dutrizac on QUB radio:

This increase is worrying in hospitals, especially since it occurs after a period of relative stability, which allowed establishments to return to an almost normal level of activity.

In the Child Jesus, for example, 35 beds dedicated to COVID-19 were occupied on Monday, including four in intensive care, compared to around 20 last week.

Hospital management is trying to understand the origin of this increase, which began to manifest itself over the weekend.

“We have seen an increase. Here, what we are looking at is: is it a trend? So we are watching this closely. We are not yet talking of returning to a load shedding of activities as we had done in mid-October, ”says Bryan Gélinas, spokesperson for the CHU de Québec.

But “if things start to rise again, necessarily, we’ll end up there,” he warns.

167 new cases of coronavirus were reported in the Quebec City area on Sunday and 162 new cases on Monday. We had not seen such levels for over a month.

Last week, over seven days, the Capitale-Nationale experienced 923 new cases, an average of 132 per day – the highest weekly toll, again, in a month.

The difference is striking from the previous week, where the number of cases was significantly lower, with 656 new cases of coronavirus over seven days, an average of 94 cases per day.

It must be said that major outbreaks in living environments for seniors have generated many cases in recent weeks.

On the other hand, we see neither more nor less outbreaks than there were a month ago, notes the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale.

In just a few days since Thursday, no less than nine outbreaks have been detected in businesses and workplaces. There are more outbreaks in workplaces (30) than in seniors’ living environments (27).

Note that the congregation of the Sisters of Charity has recorded three additional deaths since Friday, for a total of four nuns carried away by the virus.

The outbreak, which is concentrated in the infirmary, infected 147 people, 42 of whom are cured. Sixty-six nuns and 39 employees are still considered “active” cases.

Among other major outbreaks, the one at Saint Brigid’s Home shelter continues to shake the English-speaking community of Quebec. There are 46 active cases among users and a cumulative number of 18 affected workers.

The outbreak is more stable at the Cardinal-Vachon residence with still 35 active cases among residents and a cumulative number of 22 infected workers.

New outbreaks are attracting attention at the Beaulieu residence (9 infected residents) and the Sainte-Anne residence (12 infected residents), both located in Beauport.

In the Chaudière-Appalaches region, the results are more encouraging, with only 23 new people infected over a 24-hour period. We will have to see if this trend continues, as readings are sometimes weaker when the weekend returns. We deplore an additional victim.

In Saguenay — Lac-Saint-Jean, we seem to be witnessing a stabilization of cases, with 116 new infections announced on Monday, which compares favorably with the average for the past few days.

Contagion is lower in Bas-Saint-Laurent (14 new cases) and Gaspésie — Îles-de-la-Madeleine (six new cases). On the North Shore, five new infected people are announced.