Nearly 50 Quebec schools have at least 1 case of COVID-19, but no outbreaks among students
This par for the course and was to be expected, Health Minister Christian Dubé says
Quebec schools have been open for more than a week and 47 out of 3,100 in the province have at least one case of COVID-19, according to government figures released Friday.
"I think we can say that it went well for the first week, but we aren't going to lower our guard, that's for sure," Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé said.
In most of the 47 cases, the staff or student was infected outside of school, he said. "There are no outbreaks so far," Dubé added.
The minister said the government was releasing the list in order to be transparent, and hoped it wouldn't encourage stigmatization.
The list includes both public and private schools from the period of Aug. 26 to Sept. 3. The cases are widely dispersed throughout Quebec, though about half are in the Montreal region.
Dr. Richard Masse, a senior public health official, said the province knew what to expect after reopening elementary schools outside the greater Montreal area in the spring.
The number of cases reported so far this fall aligns with the government's expectations, Masse said.
Comments
To encourage thoughtful and respectful conversations, first and last names will appear with each submission to CBC/Radio-Canada's online communities (except in children and youth-oriented communities). Pseudonyms will no longer be permitted.
By submitting a comment, you accept that CBC has the right to reproduce and publish that comment in whole or in part, in any manner CBC chooses. Please note that CBC does not endorse the opinions expressed in comments. Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Comments are welcome while open. We reserve the right to close comments at any time.