One active case of COVID-19 left in Quebec's long-term care facilities
Though they were hit hard during the first wave of the pandemic, there is now just one active case of COVID-19 in Quebec's long-term care homes.
At the height of the pandemic, in the spring of 2020, Quebec's health ministry was monitoring dozens of outbreaks at CHSLDs across the province.
Many of them were deemed "in critical condition," meaning that more than 25 per cent of residents were infected.
As of June 13, CHSLD Aimé-Leduc in Montérégie is the only facility that remains on the ministry's watchlist, with one active case reported.
The vaccine against COVID-19 is a factor in stopping more outbreaks, according to the Institut national de Santé publique du Québec (INSPQ): 95 per cent of residents have received their first dose and 84 per cent have received their second.
"These are very high rates. We're very happy," said Dr. Jasmin Villeneuve, medical advisor to the INSPQ responsible for coordinating scientific activities for the prevention and control of infections in care settings.
The situation in private seniors' residences (RPAs) has also improved considerably, although in mid-June there were slightly more cases than in CHSLDs, according to data from the Ministry of Health.
The Bonséjour residence in Saint-Jean-de-Dieu, in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region, is still flagged red on the government's list: 44 per cent of its residents have COVID-19.
However, the facility is small, which means there are four active cases. Ten other RPAs are currently "under surveillance," but most have only one infected person.
Vaccination rates in RPAs are even higher than in CHSLDs: 95 per cent of residents have received their first dose and 87 per cent have received both.
Villeneuve explains several hypotheses behind the notable decrease in the number of active cases.
First, the vaccination of residents and caregivers in these settings is "a major element," he says, "that has made a big difference since the winter."
He states, "we now have a better understanding of the disease" and how it spreads.
"The knowledge that we have acquired helps a lot to protect ourselves," Villeneuve said.
The decrease in the number of cases in the general population has also impacted residents in CHSLDs and RPAs.
The small number of active cases in CHSLDs, "is very encouraging," he states, and the challenge now will be to see if this continues.
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 15, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.