Mandatory 14 Day Isolation when Returning to the North Shore Region for Stays of More than 24 hours in Another Region

LOCAL NEWS - APRIL 14, 2021 - The North Shore becomes an orange zone tonight at 8PM

As of 8 PM this evening, the North Shore region will be designated at Level 3-Alert (orange). A curfew has been reinstated to begin at 9:30 PM until 5 AM each evening until further notice. Unnecessary social contacts are not allowed, e.g. gatherings with family or friends, etc...

The Surete du Québec will also be on patrol in the region to ensure that the health guidelines are being followed. Police officers continue to ensure compliance with health measures and can intervene when individuals are outside their homes during curfew hours, only reasons deemed as essential will be accepted, the Quebec government list of acceptable reasons can be found here. Offenders are liable to fines now ranging from $1,000 to $6,000 if they are unable to adequately justify why they are outside the home. Young people 14 years of age and over are subject to a $500 fine.

To enable individuals who are travelling during the curfew because of their work to readily demonstrate that such travel is legitimate, employers are asked to complete the Employer Attestation Concerning Travel During the Curfew Decreed by the Gouvernement du Québec found here.

A press briefing was held this afternoon by the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de la Côte-Nord (CISSS de la Côte-Nord) regarding the COVID-19 situation on the North Shore. The press briefing was by zoom with Mr. Claude Lévesque, interim CEO of the CISSS de la Côte-Nord, and Dr. Richard Fachehoun, medical specialist in public health and preventive medicine. This situation unfolding thus far during the 3rd wave of COVID on the North Shore continues to concern the CISSS de la Côte-Nord.

The region has seen an increase in the number of cases in April, with 51 cases, which are mainly in the Haute-Côte-Nord and Manicouagan MRC's, but also in other MRC's as well. Most of our positive tests are due to the British variant, which is 1.7 times more contagious and more virulent. The border regions of the North Shore are seeing an increase in the number of cases.

There is a limited capacity of the hospitals in Baie-Comeau and Sept-Îles to treat any people  hospitalized with severe forms of COVID who may require intensive care, and there would be impacts if there was an offloading of cases to other areas. As previously mentioned, an increased number of cases and hospitalizations will cause a postponement of non-urgent surgeries and diagnostic examinations.
 
To reduce the number of cases during the third wave and to prepare for the summer, the CISSS de la Côte-Nord along with Public Health are issuing the following directives :

• We must limit the introduction of the virus in the region
• Ban on travels from red and orange regions to the North Shore;
• Avoid non‐essential travels;
• Mandatory 14‐day self‐isolation for residents who return from a stay of more than 24 hours outside of the North Shore region;
• A screening test upon arrival and after 7 days for the Lower North Shore, Minganie and Caniapiscau.

If symptoms of COVID develop or if you have COVID related questions, residents are asked to call Santé Publique at 1-877-644-4545, and they will guide you through the steps of what to do.


Abbygail Wellman
CFBS Journalist