Share this Story: Quebec boosts number of designated COVID-19 hospitals to 13
Quebec boosts number of designated COVID-19 hospitals to 13
The Health Ministry has updated its contingency plans seven times, reflecting the rapidly evolving situation.
Mar 31, 2020 • March 31, 2020 • 4 minute read • Join the conversation
Health care workers prepare to carry out drive-through tests for COVID-19 at an installation at the Cavendish Mall in Côte-St-Luc as the city deals with the coronavirus pandemic on Monday, March 30, 2020. Photo by Allen McInnis /Montreal Gazette
Quebec has expanded the number of designated COVID-19 hospitals across the province from four to 13 to absorb the increase in intensive-care hospitalizations from the pandemic respiratory illness, the Montreal Gazette has learned.
At the same time, the provincial health ministry has devised a four-point alert scale to indicate the gravity of the situation in each of the designated hospitals.
Quebec boosts number of designated COVID-19 hospitals to 13 Back to video
"Only the designated centres are in the alert phase," ministry spokesperson Marie-Hélène Émond explained in an email. "The four alert levels must be considered to deploy the optimal use of the intensive-care beds for all of Quebec."
On Monday, Premier François Legault announced a total of 235 people were hospitalized for COVID-19, up 43 since Sunday. Of those in hospital, 78 were ICU patients, up by six.
On Feb. 8, Health Minister Danielle McCann chose the Jewish General Hospital and Ste-Justine hospital in Montreal to treat COVID-19 patients. She also picked the Centre hospitalier de l'Université Laval (for adult and pediatric cases) and the Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec.
The revised list now includes the following centres:
In Montreal, the Jewish General, Ste-Justine (pediatric cases), Sacré-Coeur and Maisonneuve-Rosemont hospitals, along with the Centre hospitalier de l'université de Montréal. The McGill University Health Centre is not on the list but is allowed to treat COVID-19 patients.
In Laval, Cité-de-la-Santé hospital
In Lanaudière, Hôpital Pierre-Legardeur
In the Montérégie, Charles-Lemoyne and Pierre-Boucher hospitals
In Quebec City, the Institut universitaire de cardiologie et pneumologie de Québec and the Centre mère-enfant soleil (pediatrics)
In the Eastern Townships, the CHUS-Fleurimont for adult and pediatric cases
In the Mauricie region, Centre hospitalier de Trois-Rivières
The CHUM and MUHC declined to to make public their COVID-19 hospitalization figures. In contrast, the Jewish General has provided the Montreal Gazette with daily updates since last week — 59 patients on Monday, up by 10 since Sunday.
Of those hospitalized, 24 were in the ICU, an increase of two. At the same time, though, at least two ICU patients were transferred to a step-down COVID-19 ward as they were no longer in critical condition.
"The number of cases hasn't gone up dramatically," said Dr. Lawrence Rosenberg, head of the health authority in charge at the Jewish General. "I think we'll have a much better idea by Friday which way it's going to go, but most people are fairly positive at this point."
At present, COVID-19 patients are occupying 15 per cent of the available beds in all the designated hospitals.
The health ministry has revised its contingency plans continuously, including foreseeing a worst-case scenario in which ICUs are filled to 300 per cent of capacity.
The ministry has updated its contingency plans seven times , reflecting the rapidly evolving situation in the province. The government reported a total of 3,430 COVID-19 cases, up by 590 since Sunday. The number of deaths increased by three to 25, and have occurred mostly in the elderly.
Quebec's chief public health officer, Dr. Horacio Arruda, suggested that although the number of cases continues to rise, those increases are below the government's internal projections. The government projected on March 16 that by the end of the month the number of COVID-19 infections would soar to 9,817, according to La Presse.
As of last Monday, the government drafted its latest contingency plan featuring the four-point alert scale: 1, 2, 3a, 3b and 4. That plan elaborates on the criteria for activating each alert level.
For example, Alert Level 1 is activated when less than 70 per cent of total emergency room visits are associated with COVID-19 and less than 20 per cent of hospital personnel are absent due to illness. Alert 2 is activated when 20 to 40 per cent of ER visits are a result of COVID-19.
Alert Level 3a is triggered when 50 per cent of negative pressure rooms are occupied.
No hospitals have reached Alert Level 4. All designated Montreal hospitals as well as those in Laval and Lanaudière are at Level 3a. The other hospitals are either at Level 1 or 2.
In another internal document , the government issued directives that health professionals must follow in the event of an over-capacity of COVID-19 patients in ICUs. That documents foresees scenarios of 200- and 300-per-cent capacity.
The Jewish General is nearing full capacity in its ICU. The hospital is now ramping up its ICU capacity to treat up to 53 COVID-19 patients by using other critical-care rooms that have negative pressure to prevent the highly contagious coronavirus from escaping. The hospital is also coming up with a contingency plan to treat more than 53 COVID-19 ICU patients.
Late last week, the Institut national de santé publique released guidelines on the potential re-use of N-95 masks in the event of a critical shortage. But one of the guidelines recommends throwing out N-95 masks that are contaminated with blood and respiratory secretions.
On Sunday, Health Minister Danielle McCann announced the government was buying 300,000 facial shields from hockey-equipment manufacturer Bauer.
The government has also issued COVID-19 protocols for obstetrics, palliative care and psychiatric patients.
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