MONTREAL -- Montreal public health authorities confirmed that at least 13 Montrealers have tested positive for COVID-19 after going to a bar on the island.
Those people went to at least nine bars, one more than originally reported.
In addition, five people tested positive for the virus after hitting up the Mile Public House at Dix30 on the South Shore.
Montreal public health spokesperson Jean Nicholas Aube said around 1,000 people showed up for testing Sunday, and health professionals have tested at least 500 Monday in the city.
Aube is reminding citizens to be patient when showing up at non-reservation testing spots, as there are line-ups.
He added that the city’s health authorties have ramped up resources, as they want people tested.
The health department’s Sante de Travail department teamed up with the workers’ safety board (CNESST) and carried out 197 inspections this weekend in Montreal bars to ensure rules were being followed.
Quebec Health Minister Christian Dube spoke about the situation in bars Monday during the province's COVID-19 news briefing.
“We’ll monitor very closely, especially with bars,” said Dube. “If we see bar owners not complying with the rules, we will have to act accordingly… But we need to give them the benefit of the doubt.”
As of Saturday, masks will be mandatory in public indoor places including bars.
Health authorities sent out a warning on the weekend urging anyone who has been in a bar on the Island of Montreal since July 1 to go for COVID-19 testing.
