Zainab Al-Mehdar
Pontiac April 20, 2022
On April 15 the Centre intégré de santé et des services sociaux de l’Outaouais (CISSSO) made an announcement regarding the temporary suspension of hospital visits in the Outaouais. This comes in light of the current wave of covid cases flooding emergency rooms.
“In order to ensure the protection of our most vulnerable users, health care workers and the population in the context of the current wave of COVID-19,” CISSSO said in their announcement.
The suspension exempts caregivers, who will still be able to visit their loved one to assist them, while respecting the health measures put in place for caregivers.
CISSSO highlighted that visits for “humanitarian reasons” such as visiting someone at the end of their life remains possible.
For pregnant women visiting the hospital to give birth, they can be accompanied by one person.
If someone is visiting for a caregiver or a humanitarian visit but is experiencing covid symptoms they will be refused entry into the hospital, according to CISSSO.
The hospitals impacted include, Gatineau Hospital, Hull Hospital, Papineau Hospital, Maniwaki Hospital, Pontiac Hospital, Wakefield Hospital Pierre Janet Hospital.
As of April 20, CISSSO listed the following statistics for the Pontiac area:
Alleyn-et-Cawood: 9 (no increase)
Bristol: 25 (no increase)
Bryson: 41 (+1)
Campbell’s Bay: 52 (+5)
Chichester: 32 (no increase)
Clarendon: 5 or less (no increase)
Fort-Coulonge: 151 (+2)
Île-du-Grand-Calumet: 22 (+1)
L’Îsles-aux-Allumettes: 40 (no increase)
Litchfield: 5 or fewer (no increase)
Mansfield and Pontefract: 234 (+2)
Otter Lake: 45 (+1)
Portage-du-Fort: 6 (no increase)
Rapide-des-Joachims 5 or less (no increase)
Shawville: 134 (+2)
Sheenboro: 5 or less (no increase)
Thorne: 5 or less (no increase)
Waltham: 20 (no increase)
