Montreal’s director of public health is warning that even if there’s no recorded case of community transmission on the island, COVID-19 is likely being spread by people who haven’t travelled and have no known link to a previously confirmed case.<\/p>\n
Dr. Myl\u00e8ne Drouin said people who have travelled remain the priority for testing in Quebec, but that doesn’t mean no one else has the virus.<\/p>\n “We probably have cases in the community which we have not yet detected,” she said at a news conference Monday.<\/p>\n Drouin pointed to the spike in cases in neighbouring Ontario, where far more people have been tested than in Quebec.<\/p>\n On Sunday, Ontario announced 42 new cases of COVID-19. So far, only five of those have been definitively linked to travel or previously confirmed cases, while 37 are listed as “pending<\/u>,” as officials investigate further.<\/p>\n Ontario has tested 10,178 people and has confirmed 172 cases.<\/p>\n By comparison, Quebec had completed tests by Monday afternoon on 3,079 people, with 50 cases confirmed and 3,073 still awaiting results.<\/p>\n Premier Fran\u00e7ois Legault said the province would add seven new labs by Tuesday, increasing its testing capacity to screen 6,000 people a day. The province has promised to set up a total of 15 new labs by the end of this week.<\/p>\n So far, the province has prioritized testing those with COVID-19 symptoms who recently travelled and those who have been in contact with a traveller with symptoms.<\/p>\n When asked Monday if there are cases of community transmission in Quebec, Dr. Horacio Arruda, the province’s director of public health, said: “We will test, test, test.”<\/p>\n “We are at the beginning compared to other places. In fact, the transmissions here are at the very beginning. I am not telling you there are no transmissions.”<\/p>\n Dr. Nima Machouf, a Montreal epidemiologist, said if the test were simpler, like a pin prick, it would be more widely carried out.<\/p>\n “It’s certain that we don’t know how many people have it,” she said.<\/p>\n For now, she said, focusing on travellers allows health officials to determine, for certain, which individuals have the virus and with whom they may have been in contact.<\/p>\n Early on in an epidemic, testing everyone is “very resource-heavy and not a great return,” said McGill University epidemiology Prof. David Buckeridge.<\/p>\n Ultimately, he said, testing may no longer serve a purpose if the virus becomes very widespread.<\/p>\n “If you think about it, we don’t routinely test everyone for the common flu,” he said.<\/p>\n Buckeridge praised Quebec’s new restrictions, which he said could help curb the spread from two to three new infections per person with COVID-19 to half that.<\/p>\n “I know some people think they are a little aggressive, but they probably should have been in place a week ago,” said Buckeridge.<\/p>\n “The earlier you can get in and drive that number down, you really have a huge impact on the size of the epidemic a few weeks down the road.”<\/p>\n For now, Drouin said, getting the word out to travellers remains a priority, which is why Montreal dispatched health professionals to Pierre Trudeau International Airport Monday.<\/p>\n Later in the day, the federal government took the extraordinary step of\u00a0banning non-residents<\/u>\u00a0from crossing into Canada.<\/p>\n “Every time that a traveller does not isolate themselves, it’s a breach that allows the virus to propagate in our communities. It also reduces the efficiency of our public health strategies,” said Drouin. “You must isolate yourself.”<\/p>\n “If you’re a friend, a colleague or a loved one of a person who has travelled, insist that they isolate themselves, and support them during that period \u2014 whether it’s food or medication.”<\/p>\n CBC<\/p>\nTesting ramps up<\/h2>\n
Self-isolation key<\/h2>\n