COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec
The COVID-19 pandemic first spread to the Canadian province of Quebec in February 2020. Seventeen cases had been confirmed by March 12, and restrictions on public gatherings were announced the same day. On March 15, the government enforced the closure of various entertainment and recreational venues, and on March 23, all non-essential businesses were ordered to close. By the end of March, over four and a half thousand cases had been confirmed in all regions of the province. Quebec has reported the highest number of cases of COVID-19 in Canada, having more infections than all the rest of Canada combined., there have been over 57,700 confirmed cases, 50,200 recoveries and 5,600 deaths.
Timeline
The province of Quebec confirmed its first case of COVID-19 on February 27. The patient was a 41-year-old woman who had returned to Montreal from Iran three days earlier on a flight from Doha, Qatar. She was transferred to the Jewish General Hospital on March 3, and was released on March 4. Following her release, she remained in isolation at her home in Verdun, Quebec. By March 12, 17 cases had been confirmed.On March 13, following the announcement of restrictions on public gatherings by Premier François Legault, precautionary cancellations of public events and facilities began to emerge province-wide. On March 14, Premier Legault officially declared a public health emergency, lasting at least ten days. This measure granted him powers under the Public Health Act to enforce mitigation measures. Frustrated by inaction of the federal government, the public health director and the Mayor of Montreal dispatched employees to Montréal–Trudeau International Airport to advise travelers arriving from international destinations to self-isolate for 14 days.
On March 19, Minister of Health and Social Services Danielle McCann suspended orders made by the Court of Quebec that allowed children under the Director of Youth Protection to maintain physical contact with their biological parents. On the same day, it was announced that Quebec residents in isolation or quarantine who are not covered by any benefits may apply for $573 per week of financial aid for a maximum of 14 days. The government also announced that it would extend the income tax filing deadline, and inject $2.5 billion into companies suffering liquidity problems due to the pandemic. It also asked Quebec citizens not to travel between regions. The city of Montreal announced that it would be extending its tax deadline and unveiled a $5 million emergency fund to support small and medium-size businesses.
Physical distancing measures increased residential electricity demand by 2.3% and lowered commercial demand by 3.1% from March 13 to March 19, according to an Hydro-Québec spokesman.
During a cabinet meeting on March 20, the government extended Quebec's health emergency order-in-council for at least 10 more days.
On April 7, Quebec released a model projecting that the province would see as few as 1,263 to as many as 8,860 deaths from COVID-19 by the end of the month, depending on the epidemic curve.
On April 24, Premier Legault stated that "outside of the senior residences, distancing measures are working", and announced plans to unveil strategies for phasing out the province's current restrictions on commerce and reopening schools. He noted that the province would have to ensure that they are able to "restart the economy without restarting the pandemic".
On June 24, due to relative decreases in the rate of new cases, new health minister Christian Dubé announced plans to release new case numbers weekly beginning June 26, rather than daily. The move faced criticism, leading the province to backtrack and continue releasing numbers daily. Quebec's Director of Public Health Horacio Arruda stated that the he had misjudged how the public would react to the change, and that he did not mind continuing with daily updates.
On July 17, Quebec retroactively changed its methodology for determining recoveries, stating that its previous method had "significantly underestimated" the total count, and was inconsistent with methodologies used in other provinces. This led to a one-time addition of 23,686 recoveries, and the reduction of active cases from 27,603 to 1,556.
Government response
On March 12, Premier Legault announced that the province would ban indoor gatherings of more than 250 people, and that government workers, health care professionals, and teachers returning from international travel would be required to self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival. He also advised residents who are experiencing flu-like symptoms, or who have recently returned from international travel, to self-isolate.On March 15, Legault ordered the closure of various recreational and entertainment venues, including, but not limited to, bars, cinemas, gyms, pools, and ski hills. Restaurants were also ordered to reduce their capacity by half and enforce physical distancing.
On March 21, the Société des alcools du Québec announced that its stores would begin closing on Sundays. On March 23, Premier Legault ordered the closure of all non-essential businesses beginning at midnight on March 24, until at least April 13. On March 31, Legault ordered all essential businesses to close on Sundays until further notice to provide a day of rest for employees.
On April 5, Quebec extended the public health emergency and all associated closures to at least May 4.
On April 13, Legault announced that residential construction slated for completion by July 31 would be re-classified as an essential service, arguing that the province " want to add a housing crisis on top of the current crisis."
Economic and financial
On March 16, the government of Quebec announced financial compensation to workers who returned from abroad that had been placed in segregation, and did not have access to employment insurance. The Programme d'aide temporaire aux travailleurs touchés par le coronavirus paid $573 per week for two weeks.On March 20, the government of Quebec announced the suspension of interest on student loans as of April 1, 2020 for the next six months.
Due to the economic impact of the pandemic, initiatives emerged to promote local purchasing, including the social media campaign #OnSeSerreLesCoudes and Panier Bleu—a government-run directory promoting Quebecois retailers that are offering online sales.
On April 2, a salary bonus of 8% to all healthcare professionals on the front line and a bonus of 4% to the rest of the network's employees was announced by ministers Christian Dubé and Danielle McCann. A salary increase of $4 per hour was also granted to the 34,000 beneficiary attendants for a period of 16 weeks. On April 4, a bonus of 8% was also granted to the paramedics in the province.
On April 3, Minister of the Economy Pierre Fitzgibbon announced $150 million in expenditure to help small and medium-sized businesses impacted by the pandemic. Hydro-Québec announced that its executives are renouncing their salary increase for 2020 and that the bonuses and bonuses for 2019 will be paid later this year. In addition, Hydro-Quebec donated 125,000 protective masks to the Quebec government.
In an interview with Gérard Filion of RDI Économie on April 16, the Minister of Finance, Éric Girard, predicted a budget deficit between $10 and $15 billion for the year 2020. The government had tabled its budget for the year 2020 on March 10, before the start of the pandemic. Its calculation was based on the assumption that 40% of the Quebec economy would be put on pause for a period of eight weeks, and that there would be an increase in health spending.
Public health
On March 14, Premier Legault announced that the province would prohibit visits to hospitals and long-term care facilities. He also advised citizens over the age of 70 to avoid leaving their homes.On March 20, the Quebec government prohibited indoor gatherings and required for outdoor gatherings that a two-meter distance be kept between the people gathered, with some exceptions, such as for members of the same household.
From May 22, the Quebec government restricted outdoor gatherings in private locations to a maximum of 10 people, but loosened the requirement to maintain a two-meter distance between the people gathered for it to apply "as much as possible" rather than at all times. It was recommended, but not required, that those ten people be from no more than three households. The lack of a maximum number of people and the requirement that the distance be kept at all times were maintained for outdoor gatherings in public locations.
On July 18, 2020, amid an increase in cases, it became mandatory for all patrons of enclosed public spaces over the age of 12 to wear a face mask. Businesses can be fined up to $6,000 if they allow customers to violate this health order. Quebec became the first Canadian province to enact such an order.
Healthcare system
Since March 15, anyone who has left a health professional order, such as the :fr:Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec|Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec, may begin practicing that profession again, without charge, as long as they have not been out of the order for more than 5 years, and are not over 70 years old.On March 31, Premier Legault warned of potential shortages of medical supplies within the next week, including personal protective equipment, and announced that Premier of Ontario Doug Ford had agreed to divert some of its shipments of medical equipment to the province. The province of Alberta also announced on April 11 that they would be sending 250,000 N95 masks, 2 million procedural masks, and 15 million gloves to Quebec.
On April 5, the Quebec government began to centralize the purchase of drugs, and sought to find an alternative drug for propofol, out of fear of a shortage.
On May 5, Premier Legault revealed that 11,200 workers in the healthcare system were absent. Two days later, that number had increased to 11,600. Of the workers who were present, only 50% were working full-time. The lack of full-time healthcare personnel in Quebec continues to be a problem, particularly in long-term care facilities.
Long-term care facilities
As of April 1, 519 long-term care facilities in Quebec, including both lodging centres for long-term care and private seniors' residences, had at least one confirmed case of COVID-19. As of April 30, a total of 6603 residents in CHSLDs and RPAs had been infected. Nearly half of Quebec's deaths from the pandemic have occurred in long-term care facilities.CHSLD Sainte-Dorothee in Laval has had one of the largest outbreaks; on April 8, it was reported that at least 115 of its 250 residents had been infected, and that there had been at least 13 deaths. The same day, Premier Legault announced that the province would deploy 500 nurses, 450 doctors, and more equipment to long-term care facilities in order to help reduce their burden.
At least 150 cases have been connected to CHSLD Herron, located in the Montreal suburb of Dorval. There were also reports of neglect and poor living conditions at the facility, with staff having deserted the facility since March 29, and health care workers describing it as being akin to a horror movie or a concentration camp, due to discovering unhygienic living conditions, and residents neglected for nourishment and personal hygiene. On April 10, Health Minister McCann announced that an investigation would be launched into the facility, which had been placed under provincial trusteeship.
On April 11, the province reported that there had been 31 deaths at CHSLD Herron over the last month, with at least five attributed to COVID-19. CIUSSS de l'Ouest-de-l'Île-de-Montréal president Lynne McVey stated that the facility's owner was uncooperative, preventing authorities from obtaining the health records of its residents until April 8. Quebec's coroner's office and the Montreal police are also investigating.
That weekend, teams were sent to all 41 private CHSLDs in the province to evaluate their response to the pandemic. On April 12, AELDPQ sent a letter to Minister McCann, accusing the province of breaking promises to increase funding for private CHSLDs, not displaying equal scrutiny towards public facilities, cutting off private facilities' procurement of personal protective equipment via provincial suppliers, and not providing promised emergency funding for them to purchase PPE.
On April 13, Premier Legault presented findings from the evaluations, reporting that the "vast majority" of private CHSLDs were "very well managed," but that there were several that required further monitoring and that the province would now be inspecting all 2,600 CHSLDs. He admitted that pre-existing issues with under-staffing at the facilities due to low wages may have been exacerbated by the pandemic, and announced plans to give temporary bonuses to attendants and orderlies, pending negotiations with unions to raise wages outright.
On April 14, Premier Legault announced that Quebec would allow residents of CHSLDs to receive visits from a pre-existing primary caregiver beginning April 16. The same day, the owners of CHSLD Herron sent a letter to Legault accusing CIUSSSOIM of engaging in a cover-up, claiming that 28 of the deaths reported had actually occurred after the facility was placed under trusteeship on March 29, disputing that they had not allowed them access to health records until April 8, and that "no communication was made to the families of the residents by the representatives of the CIUSSSOIM, despite numerous requests made to that effect by the employees as well as members of the management of the CHLSD Herron."
On April 16, the Montreal Regional Director of Public Health, Mylène Drouin, stated that outbreaks of COVID—19 had affected at least 75% of long-term care facilities in the city. Two days later, the Canadian Armed Forces began to deploy 125 workers — including nurses and other support staff — to assist CHSLDs in managing the outbreak and augmenting staff. On April 22, Premier Legault announced that the province had requested an additional 1,000 workers to "give us more resources to help us with non-medical tasks."
On May 5, Premier Legault announced that some restrictions in uninfected RPAs would be lifted, allowing residents to go for walks unaccompanied and to meet with family outdoors, as long as social distancing measures were being respected.
Travel restrictions
As of March 16, the Montréal–Trudeau International Airport is one of only four airports across the country that is accepting international flights to Canada from outside the Caribbean, Mexico, and the United States.The Quebec government has advised against non-essential interprovincial travel. On March 28, regional access to the regions of Bas-Saint-Laurent, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Côte-Nord, Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean, Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Nord-du-Québec, Nunavik and Eeyou Istchee have been restricted by police roadblocks and airport controls.
On April 1, security checkpoints were implemented in several municipalities in the Lanaudiere region, the Laurentians, La Tuque, and the Outaouais region, to restrict non-essential travel into the regions.
Judicial system
Since March 15, all hearings before a judicial administrative court must be held behind closed doors, and all visits to a detention facility in Quebec were suspended. All decisions of the Régie du logement authorizing the resumption of housing or the eviction of the tenant were suspended.Since March 16, all appeals to be heard by the Supreme Court of Canada in March, April and May 2020 have been postponed to June 2020, just as the hearings convened from March 16 to April 30, 2020 before the Quebec Access to Information Commission were canceled.
Since March 19, orders made by the Court of Quebec that allowed children of the DPJ to maintain physical contact with their biological parents were suspended.
Since March 20, individuals who served an intermittent sentence were on medical leave, and all deadline to introduce a case in front of the Tribunal administratif du Québec, the Tribunal administratif du travail, the Tribunal administratif des marchés financiers, or the Commission d'accès à l'information were suspended during the pandemic.
From March 23 to April 24, 2020, all deadlines for civil procedures were suspended, and only urgent cases were heard before the Quebec Court of Appeal, the Superior Court of Quebec and the Court of Quebec.
On April 1, the bar school of the province of Quebec postponed the final evaluation to May 25.
Municipal
On March 17, the City of Montreal declared a local state of emergency. The original Royal Victoria Hospital building was converted into a homeless shelter for COVID-19 patients.On March 24, the city of Quebec laid off nearly 2,000 employees. On April 4, more than half of municipal workers in Donnacona were laid off. In Lévis, the city has laid off 353 temporary employees for three weeks. Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures and L'Ancienne-Lorette have also laid off fifty employees.
On April 5, Montreal closed the parking lots at Notre-Dame Island and Mount Royal Park in order to discourage public gatherings.
On April 9, Rimouski announced that it is closing the Promenade de la Mer cycle path on the portion located between the Rimouski River and the Rue Saint-Germain Est.
Other reactions
Schools
On March 11, Premier Legault recommended that a voluntary 14-day quarantine be imposed on all students and faculty returning from school trips to countries strongly affected by the pandemic, even if there are no signs of symptoms. He also cancelled upcoming trips to such locations. The same day, students and staff members from several schools who had recently travelled to Italy were told to stay home. Collège International Marie de France suspended classes, pending the testing of a student who was suspected to have been infected. On March 13, the Université de Montréal cancelled all international teaching and research activities until the next school year.On March 13, Quebec ordered the closure of all schools, CEGEPs, and post-secondary institutions until at least March 27. Daycares were also ordered closed, unless serving the children of health care professionals. On March 15, the government announced that it would offer free emergency childcare services for people working in essential services, with up to 60,000 spots available, using the up to 400 schools that the government had closed. On March 16, the Université Laval, the Université de Sherbrooke, and the École de technologie supérieure transitioned to online classes. Université Laval and Université de Sherbrooke established emergency funds for students impacted by the pandemic.
On March 22, the school closures were extended to May 1. On April 5, Quebec extended all closures relating to the pandemic through at least May 4.
There were calls by the students of the Université du Québec system for the winter terms to be cancelled outright, with Trois-Rivières students circulating a petition also requesting that they receive credits without a grade.
The province launched a website known as L'École Ouverte, which provides a collection of online education resources and activities in French and English.
On April 20, Minister of Education Jean-François Roberge announced that the province's R score system would be suspended for the winter semester, so that students are not "unfairly penalized" due to a lack of uniformity in responses and approaches by Quebec's CEGEP's.
On April 27, Premier Legault announced that elementary schools and daycares would be allowed to reopen outside of the Montreal area on May 11, and within Montreal on May 18, if cases remain stable. Classes will be limited to 15 students each, and parents will be allowed to choose whether their children may return to classes. Secondary and post-secondary schools will not be re-opened until the next school year, to prevent overcrowding of public transit.
Research
On March 21, the provincial government awarded a $7 million grant to Medicago, a Quebec City-based firm that was developing a COVID-19 vaccine candidate. On March 23, a team at the Montreal Heart Institute led by Jean-Claude Tardif launched a clinical trial exploring the use of colchicine to help treat complications of COVID-19. The first results are expected for the month of June 2020.On March 26, the Fonds de Recherche du Québec, and the Génome Québec, established a provincial task force to build a biobank of COVID-19 samples, led by McGill University chair Vincent Mooser. Mila, an artificial intelligence institute in Montreal, is developing contact tracing software for mobile phones.
Event cancellations
On March 12, Montreal and Quebec City cancelled their St. Patrick's Day parades. The Montreal Symphony Orchestra cancelled concerts scheduled through May 24. All Grand Théâtre de Québec shows were cancelled through at least March 29. Various festivals have been cancelled, including the Festival d'été de Québec, Les Francos, Metro Metro, Montréal Complètement Cirque, the Montreal International Jazz Festival, and the Festival Santa Teresa. Montreal's Just for Laughs comedy festival was postponed to late September and early October. The Montreal Fireworks Festival was also cancelled.On April 7, Montreal ordered the cancellation of all cultural events, festivals, public gatherings, and sporting events through July 2. On April 10, Quebec requested that all cultural events, festivals, and sporting events be cancelled province-wide through at least August 31.
Sports
The National Hockey League and Major League Soccer have suspended their regular seasons, affecting the Montreal Canadiens and Montreal Impact. With Major League Baseball suspending preseason play, the Toronto Blue Jays' annual preseason series at Olympic Stadium was also cancelled. The QMJHL and the remainder of the Canadian Hockey League scrapped the remainder of the 2019–20 season on March 23. The 2020 World Figure Skating Championships, planned to be hosted by Montreal, were cancelled on March 11. On April 7, Formula One postponed the Canadian Grand Prix.On April 11, Tennis Canada announced that the women's tournament of the 2020 Canadian Open would be cancelled, pursuant to the request by the provincial government. The men's tournament in Toronto was ultimately cancelled in June. Montreal will therefore host the 2021 women's tournament
Other provincial sports bodies have also suspended activities, including Basketball Québec, Baseball Québec, Hockey Québec, and Soccer Québec. Other local events that have faced cancellations include the Tour de l'Île de Montréal, and various footraces.
On April 15, the organizers of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal and Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec — the two North American events on the UCI World Tour — stated that the events were still tentatively scheduled for September, but that they would continue monitoring the situation and working with UCI on the matter.
Layoffs
On March 15, the Antonopoulos group — owner of many hotels and restaurants in Old Montreal — announced to its employees that several layoffs were expected. Groupe Sportscene laid off 2,200 of its 2,500 employees. Cirque du Soleil announced the temporary layoff of 4,679 employees, representing almost 95% of its workforce. On March 26, Cogeco Media announced that it would lay off 130 employees, representing a quarter of their workforce. On April 6, CAE announced the layoff of approximately 2,600 employees, representing just over a quarter of their workforce.Cases by administrative region
Bas-Saint-Laurent
A citizen of Rivière-du-Loup was tested positive for COVID-19 on March 19, and the first confirmed death in the region was an elderly citizen returning from travel, on March 25. Regional roadblocks were set up to deny non-essential non-locals from entering the region on March 28. No new cases were reported in the region after April 10, with 28 of the confirmed 34 cases recovering, with two still hospitalized, by April 20.Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean
Cases
On March 20, authorities revealed the first case of COVID-19 in the region. The person was a man under 40 who recently arrived from Europe to participate in the Regard festival. The man went to the launch of the festival on March 11, but he did not attend any projection according to the director general of the festival, Mariel-Élaine Riou. On April 3, twelve new cases were confirmed, bringing the total to 44 for the region. According to the regional Director of Public Health, Dr. Donald Aubin, there were 7 cases in Lac-Saint-Jean and 37 in Saguenay. Chicoutimi was the most affected city with 21 cases. As of April 20, 9 deaths were attributable to CHSLD de la Colline, where 42 residents and 46 employees contracted the virus. The other two came from "Antoniennes-de-Marie", a Saguenay religious community, which had a total of 34 cases.Capitale-Nationale
On March 16, a student from Université Laval's Faculty of Law tested positive. On March 30, the first death in the Capitale-Nationale region was reported, with the patient being over 70 years old. Outbreaks were reported at the Jeffery Hale Hospital in Quebec City, as well as the Capitale-Nationale and Chaudière-Appalaches regions.Mauricie and Centre-du-Québec
On March 11, the Ministry of Health and Social Services confirmed the first case of COVID-19 in Mauricie. According to an information officer at CIUSSS MCQ, the person is a woman who came back from a trip in France, and worked for the Innovation et Développement économique Trois-Rivières. As of April 21, 105 residents of the CHLSD Lafleche, amounting to about 80% of the residents and 75 employees, have tested positive for COVID-19 along with 36 deaths, which was a quarter of the patients hospitalized. The number of cases at the residence amount for 40% of the 269 cases in Shawinigan.Estrie
On March 12, the director of public health in Estrie, Dr. Alain Poirier, confirmed the first case of COVID-19 in the region. The individual had recently traveled in Italy. Hours later, the second case was confirmed. The person had also traveled recently. As of April 3, according to the MSSS, on that date, 450 cases and 4 deaths were confirmed.Montreal
Outaouais
The first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in the emergency department of Hull Hospital on March 18. According to the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de l'Outaouais, this individual was a recent traveler. Two days later, the CISSSO confirmed during a press conference that the individual was transferred to the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal for additional treatment. On April 17, the CISSSO reported its first death in the region.Abitibi-Témiscamingue
On March 24, the first four cases were confirmed by the CISSS-AT in the region. Two other cases were detected during the next two days. In all cases, the individuals had returned from abroad. On April 3, an 83-year-old man from the Bleu Horizon retirement home died from the virus, less than 24 hours after being transferred to intensive care. His spouse also contracted COVID-19.Côte-Nord
On March 24, Dr. Richard Fachehoun announced at the press conference in Baie-Comeau the first case identified in the Côte-Nord. The individual, aged under 50, is said to have contracted the virus during a trip to Costa Rica. As of March 28, regional roadblocks have been set up to deny non-essential non-locals from entering the region. By April 19, there were 109 confirmed positive cases. Of these, 48 had originated at the Port-Cartier penitentiary.Nord-du-Québec
The first case of COVID-19 was detected in Chibougamau. The patient was a person in their fifties, who was said to have been infected while returning from an international trip. The person experienced symptoms starting March 7, and remained in solitary confinement until their screening on March 13.Eeyou Istchee
On March 26, a Cree currently residing in Montreal was tested positive, counting as part of the Montreal statistics. On March 27, the first case on-territory was confirmed in Nemaska.Gaspésie
The first two cases in the region were identified on March 21 in Baie-des-Chaleurs. A third case was confirmed two days later. On March 24, seven cases had been confirmed, three of which were be in the Îles-de-la-Madeleine. By April 21, the total of positive cases was 138. Of these, 31 health workers, including 12 CISSS employees, were infected.On April 5, a resident of the Manoir du Havre, in Maria, died of COVID-19, two days before turning 80 years old. It was the first death in the region. By April 15, four other residents of the Manoir du Havre and one other senior who contracted the virus at this establishment died.
Chaudière-Appalaches
On March 12, a Lévis resident returning from a cruise in the Caribbean was the first case in this territory.Laval
On March 19, the first positive COVID-19 case was a healthcare worker, who lives in Laval but does not work there. On April 21, Laval confirmed 2,199 cases, an increase of 104 compared to the previous day. Just under a quarter recovered. By April 21, Laval had reported 186 deaths. 76 people were hospitalized, and 13 people were in intensive care.Lanaudière
On March 18, the province had its first death in Lanaudière. According to her granddaughter, the patient, 82-year-old Mariette Tremblay, had poor health and respiratory problems. She was staying in a center for the elderly in Lavaltrie. On March 21, four new deaths caused by COVID-19 were confirmed, all in the Lanaudière region. Three of them were elders living in the same residence as Tremblay. On March 25, an 83-year-old woman who also lived in the EVA residence died because of the virus. As of April 3, six local tenants have died.On March 20, public health authorities said infected people frequented locations in Lavaltrie on March 11 and the Centre d'action bénévole de Berthier on March 12.
Laurentides
On March 5, the Ministry of Health and Social Services announced a second presumptive case in the province of Quebec, involving a man who had traveled to India in February. The man was being treated in Mont-Laurier for symptoms similar to coronavirus. On March 4, the person was transferred to Jewish General Hospital, where he was diagnosed with pneumonia. On April 14, out of the 635 people tested positive in Laurentides, 256 cases were linked to the Hasidic Jewish community of Boisbriand.The first death occurred on March 26. The patient a 91-year-old man who lived in a retirement home in Saint-Jérome. As of April 25, 16 people have died from complications due to COVID-19.
Montérégie
On March 5, a third presumptive case was confirmed in the province, involving a woman who had returned from France on March 3. On March 18, the first case of the virus appeared in Kahnawake, where a doctor at the Kateri Memorial Hospital Centre was tested positive for COVID-19. The doctor had traveled to New York City from March 7 to 9. On April 2, there were 218 reported cases of COVID-19 from Brossard to Contrecoeur. Across the region, there were 583 cases. There were also 110 people that tested positive in the territory of the Pierre-Boucher local service network. This territory covers the borough of Vieux-Longueuil and extends east to Contrecoeur, including Boucherville, Varennes, Verchères, Saint-Amable and Sainte-Julie.- Claude Lafortune died on April 19, 2020, from COVID-19. He was 83 years old.
- Doctor Huy Hao Dao, a 44-year-old public health specialist in Montérégie, died from COVID-19 on April 16. He was the first Quebec doctor to die from complications from the coronavirus.
Nunavik
First Nations communities
Uashat
On March 23, the director of recreation at Uashat mak Mani-utenam, Uapisthan Fontaine, went to the Sept-Iles hospital to get a COVID-19 test. According to his family, he was refused on the grounds that no case had yet been detected in the region. As of March 26, the band council prohibited members of their community from leaving the reserve. On March 29, Uapisthan was transferred to the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Québec as his health deteriorated rapidly.On April 1, another member of the community tested positive. A curfew was implemented on April 2 between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. On April 15, the community was dealing with eight confirmed cases of COVID-19.