MONTREAL -- Montreal's regional public health director is asking anyone who participated in indoor or outdoor Latin dance events over the past two weeks to get tested for COVID-19.
Dr. Mylene Drouin said at least three people who contracted COVID-19 participated in one or several Latin dance activities since July 31.
Two of the three cases involve people who were contagious and who participated in events on Aug. 14 and Aug. 15 in Montreal, she said, adding that two other events in the city could be linked to the outbreak.
"What we have right now is an outbreak," Drouin said during a press conference on Monday. "An outbreak of three confirmed cases -- we know two of those cases were contagious during events that took place on Ste-Catherine St. on Aug. 14, and in the Frederic Back park on Aug. 15."
Drouin said there have been other events likely attended by infected people, notably in Lafontaine Park and in Verdun.
"There is no register for people who participate in this type of event, so it's difficult to do contact-tracing," she said. "People who participated are being asked to go get tested in their own areas."
Drouin is reminding people that indoor dancing is illegal because it carries a higher risk of COVID-19 transmission.
She said clinics across the city have been notified and are ready to test people.
The last time public health authorities issued a city-wide testing call-out -- to anyone who had worked in or attended a bar in July -- clinics were not ready and people stood in line for hours to get tested.
