Massive screening
The population of Ascot responded well to the call launched by Public Health, Thursday and Friday, by appearing in large numbers at the two mobile screening clinics. It must be said that the CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS had mobilized its vast network of partners to solicit the multiethnic population of this sector.
“On Wednesday, we had a meeting with the University, the Cégep, the Center de services scolaire de la Région-de-Sherbrooke, our community partners, the CPEs, so that everyone is on the same level of wave and share the same message, taking language barriers into account, ”explains Dr. Geneviève Petit.
The CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS therefore continues to screen massively. For several months, the facility maintained a rate of approximately 1,000 tests per week. From August 14 to August 20, there were 4,460 COVID-19 tests taken in the Eastern Townships, almost as many as during the week that ended with 4,552 COVID-19 tests taken from August 21 to 27.
The Fleurimont Hospital laboratory is currently supplying on demand and the Public Health team is generally successful in making callbacks within 24 to 48 hours.
“It is quite a challenge to modulate our activities according to different needs, increases and decreases. We do not want periods when employees have nothing to do, given the needs in the organization, so we are continually adapting, ”says Dr. Geneviève Petit.
From 14 to 10 days of quarantine
The isolation period for confirmed cases of COVID-19 will now be 10 days rather than 14 in Quebec, the Ministry of Health announced on Friday.
“The evolution of our knowledge now allows us to shorten the duration of isolation for people with COVID-19. However, you must ensure that other criteria are met, such as the absence of symptoms for 24 hours and fever for 48 hours. Once the isolation period is over, people are no longer considered contagious, but they must make sure to follow the instructions that apply to the general population such as hand washing, wearing a face covering and physical distancing ”, Explained Dr. Horacio Arruda, National Director of Public Health of Quebec.
Thus, for the majority of the population, the lifting of isolation is now possible 10 days after the onset of the first symptoms or, if the person is asymptomatic, 10 days after the date of the positive test for COVID-19. Until now, a person considered to be a confirmed case, either following a positive result or by epidemiological link, had to remain in isolation for 14 days.
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