An improvement, but the situation is still described as fragile for the Pontiac

An improvement, but the situation is still described as fragile for the Pontiac

Despite the drop in active cases of COVID-19 in the Pontiac, the region still has a higher number of new cases than elsewhere in the Outaouais. This was explained yesterday by the Acting Director of Public Health for the Outaouais, Dr. Brigitte Pinard.

“The incidence rate, which can be assumed from the number of positive cases per percentage of the population, is higher in the MRC Pontiac than elsewhere in the Outaouais. Despite a decrease, the situation remains fragile, ”said Dr. Pinard.

She recalled that even if the messages have been repeated for more than a year, the important thing for the population is to adhere to the rules and health security measures.

“We have been saying this for over a year, but distancing, washing your hands and following the rules in place are the solutions to get out of this situation,” reiterated Dr. Pinard.

The number of active cases of COVID-19 in the Pontiac has nonetheless decreased. As of yesterday (May 12), the number of cases in the Pontiac Local Service Network (RLS) dropped from 21 to 19 in the space of 24 hours. However, the number of cases continued to increase for the community of Fort-Coulonge (38) / Mansfield (86), now reaching 124 cases since the start of the pandemic.

There are no more hospitalizations following the outbreak at the Pontiac Hospital in Shawville. The Deputy President and CEO of the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux (CISSS) de l’Outaouais, France Dumont, said she was satisfied with the management surrounding this outbreak.

“We were able to count on more experienced staff from Gatineau at the start of the outbreak, who came to lend a hand to the staff of the Pontiac Hospital. It’s a lot of learning at the start of a red zone. I think we reacted quickly when we look at the situation, ”said Ms. Dumont