Eastern Townships, lagging in vaccination, has third-worst infection rate in Canada
The Eastern Townships, which lags in vaccination rates, continues to post the highest COVID-19 rates by far in southern Quebec -- and in fact, the third-worst rates in Canada.
The situation is especially alarming around the town of Val-des-Sources, formerly known as Asbestos, which has the lowest vaccination rate in the region at only 71.7 per cent.
The Eastern Townships' overall average over the last week has been 206 cases per 100,000 people, according to daily charts maintained by an Ontario statistician.
But as Quebec has spiralled upwards quickly in the last week, so has the Eastern Townships. As of Monday, the region had 282 active cases for every 100,000 people, or almost three infected people out of every 1,000 people.
In the national chart, it was behind only a public health district in Miramichi, New Brunswick, in the number-two spot, and Nunavik, Quebec, which tops the national chart with a weekly average of 631 cases per 100,000.
Nunavik's numbers have been extremely high for months, and while some of the reasons for its outbreak have been examined, the crisis in the Eastern Townships, or Estrie, as it's called in French, has flown more under the radar.
According to Eastern Townships public health authorities, the virus is mostly circulating in schools.
"The major outbreaks in Estrie come mainly from elementary schools in the region," they told CTV News in a statement Monday.
In the last week, 34 per cent of cases have been among children aged five to 11, they said. While that group has begun vaccination, there will be a lag time before it's protective.
DES SOURCES REGION HAS OVER 1 INFECTION PER 100 PEOPLE
But vaccination rates among adults are well below Quebec's average in several of the subregions within the Eastern Townships, including around Val-des-Sources.
In Quebec as a whole, 81 per cent of eligible people over age five have been vaccinated.
Val-des-Sources is part of the Asbestos or Des Sources subdistrict. The vaccination rate there, just below 72 per cent of the eligible population, is the lowest in all of the Eastern Townships. The percentage of local people who have gotten at least a first dose, 74.6 per cent, isn't much higher.
The Des Sources subdistrict also has the province's highest rate of COVID-19 as of Monday, exceeding even Nunavik's average, with 1,097 active cases per 100,000 people, according to provincial data.
Other parts of the Eastern Townships also show low vaccination rates, with only a single subdistrict, Memphrémagog, hitting 80 per cent.
In particular, the area of Haut-St-François has a vax rate of 73 per cent, and Granit falls just below 75 per cent.
Local health authorities didn't respond to a question about whether they believe the low vaccination rate is a leading factor in the high infection rates, speaking only about schools.
On the national list, Montreal and Laval were tied at 11th and 12th, both with a weekly average of 103.7 cases per 100,000. Both regions have risen significantly in the last week, with Montreal now nearly at a rate of 150 cases per 100,000 and Laval above 160.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
DEVELOPING Hamas accepts Gaza ceasefire proposal from Egypt and Qatar
Hamas said it has accepted a ceasefire deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar, which seeks to halt the seven-month war with Israel in Gaza, prompting Israel to say it would send a delegation to negotiate – though it warned the proposal remained far from the 'necessary requirements.'
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
2024 Met Gala: Everything to know about fashion's annual soiree
Fashion's biggest night out — hosted at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York each year on the first Monday of May — is both a forever-evolving spectacle and a carefully crafted event.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Concern over speeding in Fredericton neighbourhood grows after 2 teens, young adult killed in crash
Three people – including two teens – are dead, and two others are injured after a crash that has left a greater Fredericton community shaken.