MONTREAL -- Coroner Gehane Kamel will return to the stand Monday for her investigation into deaths in long-term care facilities during the first wave of the pandemic.

The months-long investigation is now in its final stages, and unless the coroner calls new witnesses, this week will be the last one for the factual part.

The most anticipated witness is undoubtedly that of Minister responsible for Seniors and Caregivers Marguerite Blais, whose appearance was postponed due to health problems, arousing the suspicion of the opposition parties.

Before Blais testifies, however, two Ministry of Health officials will be called to testify on Monday. The coroner has called one of them, head of civil security Martin Simard, the "missing piece of the puzzle" to understand what preparations were actually made between January and March 2020.

QUESTIONS STILL UNANSWERED

The period in question is one the coroner called a "black hole," and was the subject of very contradictory testimonies throughout the investigation.

Also in the coroner's sights is the disappearance of CHSLD inspection reports that were done during the first wave.

Last November, officials from the Ministry of Health said that the inspectors' observations were transmitted verbally and that the computer data was overwritten with each new visit, an explanation that raised doubts among many.

First, the coroner had received only a "blank report" and an Excel sheet, according to her, which raised the idea of calling the inspectors themselves to testify.

Eventually, backup copies of the reports were sent to her.

Another source of exasperation for the coroner is the apparent discrepancy between the directives of the authorities and their application in the field.

During their appearance at the hearings, officials from the Ministry of Health said that the order was never that residents of long-term care facilities not be sent to hospital, but that such transfers should be limited. However, this is how the instructions were often interpreted.

INQUEST CONTEXT

The coroner's inquest is examining the deaths of elderly and vulnerable people in residential care settings during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the initial COVID-19 wave, from February 25 to July 11, 2020, Quebecers aged 70 years and older accounted for 92 per cent of COVID-19 deaths, according to data from the Quebec Institute of Public Health (INSPQ). A total of 5,211 of them died from the disease.

The coroner's inquest is limited to events that took place between March 12 and May 1, at the height of the crisis.

Its objective is not to point the finger of blame, but to make recommendations to avoid future tragedies.

Six CHSLDs and one seniors' residence were selected as a sample. One death was examined for each facility.

Since November, the coroner has been looking at the provincial management of the crisis. A final component, recommendations, will begin next week.

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Jan. 9, 2021.