ER overcrowding will 'continue to be difficult,' says Quebec health minister
Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé had mostly bad news in his first update of the year on the province's emergency room network.
With emergency departments across the province today at 137 per cent capacity on average, Dubé told reporters the situation would continue to be difficult for some time.
He says about 1,900 people a day are visiting emergency rooms for respiratory viruses, a rate roughly double what was seen at the same time last year.
As well, Dubé says more people over the age of 65 are going to ERs, which results in more complex cases.
The health minister says almost half of the daily ER visits are for ailments that aren't urgent and can be treated at walk-in clinics or with family doctors.
But the news is not all bad, as Dubé says workers who took time off for the holidays are returning to the health system this week and easing pressure on overworked staff.
- Listen on CJAD 800: Quebec ER overcrowding will continue to be difficult into the new year
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 10, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Police release bodycam video of officer-involved incident at Hindu temple protest in Brampton, Ont.
Police say an officer who forcefully removed a 'weapon' from a protester outside of a Hindu temple in Brampton was acting 'within the lawful execution of his duties' after bystander video of the incident circulated widely online.
Some Scotiabank users facing 'intermittent' access to banking days after scheduled maintenance
Scotiabank users say they are having issues using their bank’s services following a scheduled maintenance period that ended days ago.
W5 Investigates Car security investigation: How W5 'stole' a car using a device we ordered online
In part two of a three-part series into how thieves are able to drive off with modern vehicles so easily, CTV W5 correspondent Jon Woodward uses a device flagged by police to easily clone a car key.
Teen arrested during West Queen West gun battle was wanted in deadly Etobicoke home invasion: police
A teenage boy arrested along with more than 20 others following a gun battle in Toronto’s West Queen West neighbourhood was wanted in connection with a deadly home invasion in Etobicoke back in April, Toronto police say.
A look at how much mail Canada Post delivers, amid a strike notice
Amid a potential postal worker strike, here’s a look at how many letters and parcels the corporation delivers and how those numbers have changed in the internet age.
Sandy Hook families help The Onion buy Infowars
The satirical news publication The Onion won the bidding for Alex Jones' Infowars at a bankruptcy auction, backed by families of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims whom Jones owes more than US$1 billion in defamation judgments for calling the massacre a hoax.
B.C. woman who 'carried on' as mortgage broker, sent falsified documents ordered to pay $35K
A woman from B.C.'s Lower Mainland has been handed a $35,000 penalty after admitting she "carried on" as a mortgage broker in the preparation of 10 mortgage applications, despite lacking the necessary registration.
South African government says it won't help 4,000 illegal miners inside a closed mine
South Africa's government says it will not help an estimated 4,000 illegal miners inside a closed mine in the country's North West province who have been denied access to basic supplies as part of an official strategy against illegal mining.
Trump hammered Democrats on transgender issues. Now the party is at odds on a response
After losing the White House and both houses of Congress, Democrats are grappling with how to handle transgender politics and policy following a campaign that featured withering and often misleading GOP attacks on the issue.