The provincial government has taken control of two private seniors' homes – one in Dorval and one near Quebec City

This post was updated throughout the day on Friday, April 10.

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Top updates

Is Quebec seniors minister flouting public-health orders?

Quebec defends treatment of seniors

Province wants all cultural, sporting events cancelled until Aug. 31

Disturbing conditions at seniors’ residence in Dorval

Quebec records 25 new deaths; could reopen schools, daycares before May 4

WHO warns of ‘deadly resurgence’

Podcast: What COVID-19 projections can tell us

Trudeau highlights interest-free loans to small businesses

5 million Canadians are getting emergency financial aid

Canada tops 20,000 cases, 500 deaths

More below

5:10 p.m.

Anglos frustrated by French-only COVID-19 pamphlet

Language laws prevented the delivery of an English COVID-19 information guide, Quebec’s health department says, angering some anglophones who say they lack vital COVID-19 information.

Read our story , by Matthew Lapierre

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5 p.m.

Rogers Cup announcement coming

In a press release this afternoon, organizers of the Rogers Cup tennis tournament, scheduled to take place in Montreal from Aug. 7 to Aug. 16, say they will make an by announcement tomorrow.

“Following the measures imposed by the Quebec government prohibiting the holding of events until Aug. 31, Tennis Canada is currently evaluating the consequences of this announcement,” the organization said.

“Our priority in the management of this crisis has always been to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our players, fans, volunteers, partners and employees and therefore our decisions will reflect this.”

4:55 p.m.

Quebec may force teachers to help health-care workers

The Quebec government wants to force employees in the education sector to help in the health sector.

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According to information obtained by La Presse Canadienne, a ministerial order is being prepared to requisition suspended personnel in school boards and CEGEPs, including, for example, nursing professors.

4:50 p.m.

Osheaga, Île Soniq, Lasso festivals won’t be held in August

“Evenko has taken note of the government’s request to suspend all events across the province of Quebec until Aug. 31, in order to control the risk of spread of COVID-19,” the company said in a press release this afternoon.

“Our events will not be held as planned until Aug. 31. The company continues to reflect on the options available” for events planned in August, including the Osheaga, Île Soniq and Lasso festivals.

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“We want to take the time to properly think about each of them and evaluate our options,” said Evenko chief executive Jacques Aubé. “Of course, we will do everything we can in order to minimize the impacts of this decision on all parties involved, by trying to postpone events, when possible.”

4:45 p.m.

Is Quebec seniors minister flouting public-health orders?

In March, Marguerite Blais, Quebec seniors minister – who is 69 and represents a riding in the Laurentians – said she was staying in self-isolation to set an example for the province’s seniors.

But since then she has appeared on Radio-Canada’s Tout le monde en parle show, and today she was in Quebec City for a press conference with Health Minister Danielle McCann.

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At the briefing, a reporter asked her whether she is flouting public health advice, by, for example, traveling between regions. The reporter noted that Horacio Arruda, Quebec’s public health director, has not returned to his home in Montreal in a month. Instead, Arruda is staying in Quebec City.

“It’s an exceptional outing,” Blais said in response to the question about why she had travelled to Quebec City.

“It seems to me that it is my place, here today…to say to the people of Quebec: We are taking this very seriously. I still have the title of minister responsible for seniors, so I have to take my place when it’s time to take my place.

“Today, it was (an exceptional situation) to come here, to the National Assembly, to speak to the population and say to seniors: We’re taking care of you, and say to the caregivers: We are not going to let you fall.”

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4:30 p.m.

Quebec defends treatment of seniors

Health Minister Danielle McCann says the Quebec government has taken control of two private seniors’ homes – one in Dorval and one near Quebec City. She said that was partly done because many employees had become infected.

The one in Dorval – CHSLD Herron – was featured in this Montreal Gazette story today about disturbing conditions , including unfed and soiled elderly residents and two residents dead in their beds.

The second one is Le Manoir Liverpool in Lévis.

McCann made the comment as she provided an update on conditions in Quebec long-term care facilities for seniors this afternoon.

In response to questions from reporters, McCann defended the government’s response, which has focused heavily on freeing up beds in hospitals, rather than improving conditions in seniors’ residences.

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She said Quebec zeroed in on hospitals because it was worried they would be overrun, as they were in places like Italy.

The minister also announced that Quebec is forming a committee of experts, headed by Quoc Dinh Nguyen, a geriatrician at the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal.

It will look at how COVID-19 is affecting seniors in long-term facilities.

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3:37 p.m.

Province wants all cultural, sporting events cancelled until Aug. 31

The Quebec government wants all sporting and cultural events cancelled until Aug. 31.

The directive was issued on Friday afternoon “considering the evolution of the COVID-19 situation in Quebec and the need to respect the need to engage in physical-distancing of two meters for an extended period,” the government said in a press release.

“It is therefore with a view to protecting public health that it is considered preferable to cancel festivals and other cultural and sporting gatherings, indoor and outdoor, for the summer period.”

3:15 p.m.

Côte-St-Luc is the hardest hit part of Montreal

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2:52 p.m.

More on the Canada Emergency Business Account

The federal government has published details of its new program to help small and medium-sized businesses.

“Businesses should access the Canada Emergency Business Account through their primary lender, where they have a pre-existing relationship…

“Eligible small business and non-profit organizations can get interest-free loans of up to $40,000. If the loan is repaid by Dec. 31, 2022, 25 per cent of it will be forgiven, up to $10,000. These loans are fully funded by the government of Canada.”

2:44 p.m.

100,000 deaths worldwide

The global COVID-19 death toll now exceeds 100,000, according to a tally by John Hopkins University . There are more than 1.6 million confirmed cases.

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On this list, sorted by number of cases, Canada is Number 13.

2:30 p.m.

Disturbing conditions at seniors’ residence in Dorval

A privately run seniors’ residence in Dorval that is grappling with an outbreak of COVID-19 cases has been described as a “concentration camp” — with unfed and soiled elderly residents inside — by health professionals who came to their rescue, a Montreal Gazette investigation has found.

And the West Island, which at first was not a government focus in the COVID-19 pandemic, is now beset with 117 confirmed cases of the respiratory illness and at least 460 suspected ones in 15 public and private seniors’ facilities.

Health Minister Danielle McCann is expected to be asked about these issues at a press conference today at 3:30 p.m.

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2:19 p.m.

Death toll could be higher than reported

At Quebec’s daily briefing his afternoon, Horacio Arruda, the province’s director of public health, was asked about a Montreal Gazette report indicating authorities are undercounting deaths in at least one long-term care facility for seniors.

In his response, Arruda said that it sometimes take time for causes of death to be officially declared.

1:57 p.m.

Quebec records 25 new deaths; could reopen schools, daycares before May 4

Quebec has 11,677 cases of COVID-19, an increase of 765 from yesterday, Premier François Legault said in his briefing this afternoon.

The total number of deaths is 241, an increase of 25.

“The number of people hospitalized and in intensive care is still stabilizing,” the premier said.

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“We are attaining the top of the wave and it is less high than elsewhere,” Legault said.

“We’re doing everything we can to win the battle of our lives. We still have a tough road ahead but when Quebec is united as one, nothing can get in our way.

“We Quebecers know one thing: in the heart of winter, we still know that spring will follow, we know that better days are coming.”

Legault denied that transfers from hospitals to long-term care facilities for seniors was a mistake. Those transfers have now been halted.

“It was correct to do this and nobody suffered in terms of the services given,” he said.

Health Minister Danielle McCann added: “We had to be ready for the worst scenario. At the start it was necessary.”

Legault also said Quebec is considering reopening schools and daycares before May 4.

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He said public-health authorities would have to approve. The reopening of schools and daycares could done be in phases, Legault said.

Asked why he is opening the door to possibly reopening daycares and schools before May 4, Legault said Quebec appears to be getting closer to a peak in COVID-19 cases.

“Nothing is decided, we are looking at different scenarios,” he said. “We need eventually to restart the economy and give hope to the population.”

If businesses reopen in the coming weeks, workers with school-aged children will need to be able to send them to daycares and schools, Legault said.

Horacio Arruda, Quebec director of public health, was asked how schools and daycares could enforce social distancing rules.

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“Different strategies that can be analyzed, by using different spaces than the one we’re used to do, lowering the number of kids at the same time in a place,” Arruda said. “So, there are all kinds of scenario we’re looking for.”

Both Legault and Arruda noted that the health consequences of getting COVID-19 are not as serious among children.

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12:41 p.m.

We could be here a while

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12:23 p.m.

WHO warns of ‘deadly resurgence’

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12:20 p.m.

Is Quebec undercounting deaths?

On Thursday, Premier François Legault said one long-term care residence had five deaths. But the residents’ committee has also been keeping track of the deaths – and it says the total is actually 17.

12:15 p.m.

Mixed messages from the premier

This is no time for the authorities to be sending us mixed messages leaving room for overly optimistic interpretation, allowing us to ignore some of the inconvenient restrictions. Yet in the past week, Premier François Legault occasionally wavered too far in that direction.

Noon

Podcast: What COVID-19 projections can tell us

As many as 22,000 Canadians could die from COVID-19, according to federal modelling released Thursday. But how much can these models really tell us? And what are the risks of making them public?

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On Postmedia’s 10/3 podcast , National Post health reporter Sharon Kirkey explains all you need to know about COVID-19 modelling’s strengths and limitations. The Montreal Gazette’s Monique Beaudin hosts.

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11:52 a.m.

Trudeau highlights interest-free loans to small businesses

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau provided an update on federal COVID-19 efforts.

Trudeau said:

$40,000 interest-free loans are now available for small and medium-sized businesses. It will take a few days for the money to appear in accounts.

“We can move very quickly and nimbly as a government,” he said, noting hundreds of thousands of Canadians are now receiving the $2,000-per-month Canada Emergency Response Benefit.

“Canada’s testing regime has been good but it can continue to get better.”

In the coming months, Canada will not be “as shutdown or as paused as we are right now.”

“We can’t talk about a return to normal before we have a vaccine” but we will be able to “let up on some measures after we have gone through this first wave.” He said that might begin this summer.

“We have to live with some measures to keep us safe, to minimize the risk of a resurgence and a second wave of COVID-19.”

He hopes not to have to invoke the Emergencies Act but preparations are ongoing in case that step is necessary. The topic came up in the conference call that Trudeau took part in with premiers yesterday.

The House of Commons will sit tomorrow to pass emergency wage subsidy legislation. He said the economic measures being put in place are the largest since since the Second World War.

He will address Canadians from the House of Commons tomorrow.

In order to spend time with his family, he will not provide updates on Sunday and Monday. His regular morning briefings will return Tuesday.

Earlier this week, Health Canada asked for volunteers to help front-line workers. More than 27,000 people answered the call, Trudeau said.

Canadian children should put pictures in their windows this weekend to ask the Easter Bunny to bring extra chocolates to nurses and doctors.

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10:53 a.m.

A different take on Legault

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10:37 a.m.

Don’t listen to social-media quacks

The SARS-CoV-2 virus can kill, but tragically some false beliefs about avoiding infection can also be lethal.

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10:23 a.m.

Shielded

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10:11 a.m.

5 million Canadians receiving emergency financial aid

From The Canadian Press:

Figures from the federal government this morning show that 5.08 million people are receiving the Canada Emergency Response Benefit.

The figure includes about two million workers who previously qualified for employment insurance benefits after March 15, but were moved to the new benefit when it became available on Monday.

So far this week, 3.08 million people have filed claims for the benefit, including just over 615,000 claims alone on Thursday.

The $2,000-a-month benefit is available for up to 16 weeks for eligible workers affected by COVID-19.

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10:07 a.m.

Staying productive

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10 a.m.

Burying the dead in New York City

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9:51 a.m.

How to do the groceries

9:42 a.m.

Easter message

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9:39 a.m.

What’s up, Doc?

Photo by YVES HERMAN / REUTERS

9:27 a.m.

Keep your distance

9:26 a.m.

Quebec landlords say the rent is overdue

Almost half of Quebec’s landlords hadn’t received their rent payments as of April 6, totalling $148 million, according to a survey by a landlords’ group.

9:23 a.m.

Some Montreal shops, banks turning away health workers

Premier Francois Legault hails Quebec health-care workers as “guardian angels,” but some say they are being denied services at banks and pharmacies when they reveal their occupations.

9:20 a.m.

Trudeau to highlight interest-free loans to help small business

While Canadian businesses wait for Parliament to approve a $73-billion wage subsidy program, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to highlight today another measure that will tide some companies over in the meantime.

9:15 a.m.

Canada tops 20,000 cases, 500 deaths

There were 20,765 confirmed and presumptive cases and 509 COVID-19 deaths in Canada as of 4 a.m. today.

More than half of confirmed cases – and 42 per cent of deaths – are in Quebec.

This is the breakdown by province and territory:

Quebec: 10,912 confirmed (including 216 deaths, 1,112 resolved)

Ontario: 5,759 confirmed (including 200 deaths, 2,305 resolved)

Alberta: 1,451 confirmed (including 32 deaths, 592 resolved)

British Columbia: 1,370 confirmed (including 50 deaths, 858 resolved)

Nova Scotia: 373 confirmed (including 2 deaths, 82 resolved)

Saskatchewan: 278 confirmed (including 3 deaths, 88 resolved)

Newfoundland and Labrador: 236 confirmed (including 3 deaths, 96 resolved)

Manitoba: 207 confirmed (including 3 deaths, 69 resolved), 17 presumptive

New Brunswick: 111 confirmed (including 50 resolved)

Prince Edward Island: 25 confirmed (including 17 resolved)

Repatriated Canadians: 13 confirmed

Yukon: 8 confirmed (including 4 resolved)

Northwest Territories: 5 confirmed (including 1 resolved)

Nunavut: No confirmed cases

Total: 20,765 (17 presumptive, 20,748 confirmed including 509 deaths, 5,274 resolved)

8:30 a.m.

What’s open and closed in Montreal

We are constantly updating our list of what is open, and mostly what is closed, in Montreal .

8:30 a.m.

Nightly newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter dedicated to local coronavirus coverage here: montrealgazette.com/coronavirusnews

8:30 a.m.

If you have symptoms

Quebecers who think they have symptoms of COVID-19 should call Quebec’s hotline at 1-877-644-4545.