Read on Twitter
1) On Monday afternoon, Montreal’s public health department confirmed at least 18 people in the city tested positive for the #coronavirus after they drank in 10 different bars. In this thread, I will warn of the public health threat of continuing to keep the bars open.
2) On Saturday, the health department appealed to all Montrealers who visited drinking establishments since July 1 to get tested, noting it launched investigations into at least five bars where eight people were contagious. Monday’s numbers show a dramatic increase since then.
3) At least 13 people who frequented at least nine bars in the city tested positive. Add to that tally five Montrealers who visited Brossard's Mile Public House pub, which declared a #COVID outbreak last week. “It’s going to go up,” a public health spokesperson told me tonight.
4) Meanwhile, all 28 employees of Annies Bar in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue tested negative after a manager came down with #COVID last week. Annies plans to reopen on Wednesday. It will not let people drink at the bar, but at spaced-apart tables. Everyone will have to wear masks.
5) But there are still instances of off-island bars — from Rawdon to Châteauguay — that are struggling with employees and patrons who have contracted the #pandemic illness. It would be naïve to assume that a midnight last call will stop the potential contagion in these venues.
6) Incredibly, despite these rising numbers, Quebec’s chief public health officer, Dr. @ArruaHoracio, and Health Minister Christian Dubé ( @cdube_sante) will let the bars stay open. Arruda suggested rather unconvincingly that closing bars will result in packed house parties.
7) It appears Dubé is moving the goal posts. Last week, when he imposed the midnight last call on bars, he said he was anxious to see what would happen over the weekend. Yet after news of all the #COVID cases in bars, he said he will continue to monitor things over the next week.
8) At this point, however, let me praise Dubé and Premier @francoislegault for finally requiring people to wear face coverings in all indoor public places as of this Saturday across Quebec. It’s still not to late to make a difference, especially since the bars are staying open.
9) On Monday, Montreal posted 25 new #COVID infections, down from 48 the day before, according to the orange line in the chart below. However, given that so many people who had been to bars went for tests on Sunday, the number of cases is expected to rise.
10) In a surprise development, the Auberge aux Trois Pignons seniors’ residence in Quebec City declared a fresh #COVID outbreak Monday, with 14 people testing positive in the past 24 hours. This cluster demonstrates how the #coronavirus can flare back up in an instant — anywhere.
