STEPHEN RICCIO
PONTIAC April 26, 2021
The Pontiac service area (RLS) continues to see high active case levels relative to earlier in the pandemic, with the CISSSO recording 61 active cases as of April 26, with a cumulative total of 270.
While the RLS’s active count is up by one from last week, the cumulative total . . .
rose by 50.
A significant case spike continues to take place in the Fort Coulonge and Mansfield et Pontefract area, with the health authority recording 33 and 59 cases as of April 26, respectively, since the pandemic began.
Meanwhile, the Municipality of Pontiac saw its cumulative total rise from 102 to 111 on April 26. Other case increases within the Pontiac include Shawville going up from 17 to 24, Campbell’s Bay from seven to 11, Waltham from five or less (minimum one) to seven and Otter Lake from five or less to six.
Bristol, Bryson, L’Isle aux Allumettes, L’Île du Grand Calumet, Sheenboro and Thorne remain at the five or less case designation.
It is important to note that the data by municipality is cumulative and not a representation of the active case situation, and that the number are updated sporadically.
Four more cases were recorded in Fort Coulonge schools over the past week, with three of them coming from Les Petits-Ponts school at the Poupore pavilion — two students and one staff member — and one case coming from Les Petits-Ponts school at the Saint-Pierre pavilion, which was a student.
As of April 21, anyone aged 45-79 can book an appointment at designated vaccination clinics or at pharmacies to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine. The walk-in option at Palais des Congrès in Gatineau continues to be available each day from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
On April 22, minister of health and social services Christian Dubé announced that people under the age of 60 with chronic diseases can make appointments to be vaccinated at the designated clinic or pharmacies as of April 23.
The chronic conditions included in the criteria can be fund online on Quebec’s website under the COVID-19 section. Additionally, anyone with any conditions relating to motor, intellectual, speech or language disability, visual, auditory or associated with other senses can book an appointment to be vaccinated as of April 28.
The Outaouais had 717 active cases (11,020 total, 10,111 recovered) as of April 26, which is a decrease of 339 from April 19. The daily regional average of new cases is currently 90, down from 169 last week.
There were 53 hospitalizations at the designated COVID-19 centre in Hull, down two from last week, and seven of those people are in intensive care. The death toll rose by seven for the second week in a row, and it now stands at 192.
Premier François Legault announced on April 20 that the emergency measures throughout the Outaouais have been extended an additional week, until May 3.
