CORONAVIRUS. Two outbreaks of COVID-19 have been declared in Drummondville, precisely at Sainte-Croix hospital and in a grocery store, confirms the CIUSSS of Mauricie-et-du-Center-du-Québec.
At the hospital, several floors are affected, but the authorities assured, during a press briefing on Tuesday, that the necessary measures to contain and control the virus are put in place.
At the request of L’Express, the CIUSSS provided further details. According to what has been known so far, 32 staff have contracted the virus.
“They were removed as soon as the screening test was carried out and / or the onset of symptoms. The epidemiological investigations were obviously carried out to trace the contacts and the source of transmission, “indicates Guillaume Cliche, information agent at the CIUSSS MCQ, specifying that of the 32 employees, 11 are cured and none has been hospitalized.
The workers in question work 5e (surgery unit), 6e (medicine unit) and 7e floors. Some of them were also called to intervene in the emergency, intensive care and laboratory.
It is not known at this time if other employees are awaiting a test result.
As for the patients who have been tested, they remain isolated in their room, on the medical unit, considered to be a lukewarm area.
“Some intensive care beds are also identified as a lukewarm area,” said spokesperson for the CIUSSS MCQ.
Since all positive patients are transferred to the Affiliated University Regional Hospital Center (CHAUR) of Trois-Rivières, there is no hot zone at Sainte-Croix Hospital.
“Anyone who needs emergency service should not be afraid to go to the hospital. Currently, all hospitals are structured in different zones, that is, people with COVID or having symptoms similar to the virus must take separate paths from the rest of the other users and stay in separate zones. Currently, there are people who refuse requests for appointments deemed urgent by their doctor. It shouldn’t be, ”says Anne-Marie Grenier, director of professional services and clinical relevance.
The second outbreak was reported in a grocery store.
“The public health department met with the employer to see what measures were in place. Following certain visits, the measures were deemed to be satisfactory. We made a few recommendations to improve the safety of staff and customers, ”said Marie-Josée Godi, director of public health and population responsibility at the CIUSSS MCQ.
The name of the business has not been released.
“For now, I will stick to this information (…) The fact of naming this grocery store or not does not make it a less safe place,” said Ms. Godi.
“If there was a risk for the people of Drummondville, we would demand the closure of the business,” added CIUSSS President and CEO Carol Fillion.
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