Seventh wave has emergency rooms overwhelmed,
nurses asked to return to work despite symptoms

eva baldi
Shawville August 1, 2022
The seventh wave is in full effect as according to CISSSO the past week has seen a major rise in emergency room cases.
In order to avoid the overwhelming hospital staff, CISSSO suggests calling Info-Santé by dialing 811, making an appointment with your family doctor, at a clinic, speaking with a pharmacist, or contacting the CLSC.
Some nurses in Quebec are being asked to return to work despite experiencing extreme covid symptoms.
Julie Bouchard from Fédération Interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec expressed her frustration with the request to the Montreal Gazette. She pointed out that asking infected nurses to return to work not only counters current health protocols but can risk making their colleagues and their patients sick. Bouchard explained her fear that an increasing number of healthcare facilities will join in asking infected people to return to work because of staff shortages.
Covid antigen test kits are still available at pharmacies, with each person being allowed one box per month.
The Quebec government explained on their website that case numbers are not entirely reflective of the total case numbers as “access to screening centers are restricted to priority clients.”
The latest data
on covid
The province reported 9,920 new cases, bringing the total number of people infected to 1,148,800.
The Quebec government website reported 83 new deaths in the last week, for a total death toll of 15,959.
There are 5,014 health care workers absent for COVID-related reasons (preventive withdrawal, isolation, awaiting results, etc.)

As of August 1st, CISSSO listed the following statistics for the Pontiac area:
Alleyn-et-Cawood: 14
Bristol: 28
Bryson: 46
Campbell’s Bay: 64
Chichester: 57
Clarendon: 5 or less
Fort-Coulonge: 163
Île-du-Grand-Calumet: 28
L’Îsles-aux-Allumettes: 42
Litchfield: 5 or less
Mansfield and Pontefract: 253
Otter Lake: 52
Portage-du-Fort: 10
Rapide-des-Joachims 5 or less
Shawville: 160
Sheenboro: 5 or less
Thorne: 5 or less
Waltham: 24