MONTREAL -- While the deaths of 31 people at the Maison Herron has focused attention on privately-held long-term care facilities, Quebec's public facilities are also suffering from a rising death toll.

At least 17 people have died in Ville-Emard's Yves Brunet residence, and almost 100 others have tested positive for COVID-19.

Daniel Rouleaux said his mother died on Sunday.

“On Saturday, we made another Skype call with her, with my brother, my wife and my brother's wife and I knew it was the last time we were going to talk together,” he said.

Rouleau said he believes if his mother had stayed in hospital rather than being transferred to Yves Brunet on government orders, she would still be alive.

“They told me they transferred her here because they need the bed for the COVID situation at the hospital,” he said. “If you ask me the question today, if they didn't transfer my mother, if she would have stayed at hospital, I can tell you she's going to be there today.”

 

Premier Francois Legault said moving patients from hospitals was the right move.

“We transfer about 1,000 patients to residences to have more beds available for people suffering from COVID-19,” he said. “I think it was the right thing to do. We haven't increased the number in CHSLDs.”

Legault has promised to make protecting seniors his top priority and announced measures such as sending more medical equipment and staff to seniors' residences but warned the effects of those changes won't be felt immediately.

Anne Kettenbeil's partner Solange Arsenault died at the Alfred Desrochers long-term care facility in Cote-des-Neiges after testing positive for COVID-19. Kettenbeil is a member of the residents' committee at the facility and said she knew the plans to handle the virus weren't enough.

“Seniors in these residences were going to be written off because there was no capacity within the CHSLDs to take care of them,” she said. “There was a clear directive to avoid any transfers into the hospitals.”

Alfred Desrochers has been the site of five confirmed deaths, with 52 cases of COVID-19.