The regional health authority in Laval, Que. says there’s no epidemiological link between six cases of COVID-19 among employees at a local hospital.
Marie-Eve Despatie-Gagnon, a spokeswoman for the health authority confirmed today that three emergency room doctors and three other employees at the Cité-de-la-Santé Hospital have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
She says the cases are all due to community transmission and there is no outbreak at the hospital.
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But Jean-Francois Houle, the vice-president of the union that represents a variety of workers at the health authority, including orderlies, questions that claim.
He says there are almost 70 patients at the hospital, not counting those in a designated “red zone” for COVID-19 cases, who have the virus.
He says workers on the site do not have proper personal protective equipment, an allegation the health authority has not immediately addressed.
As of Thursday, the most recent date for which data is available, there were 1,944 active cases of COVID-19 in Laval, or 439 per 100,000 people, the highest level in Quebec.
There were 262 active cases per 100,000 people across the province as of Thursday.
