Health Canada is warning Canadians about the risks of using fraudulent and unauthorized N95 respirator masks, as they may not protect consumers against COVID-19.
While these N95 disposable facial masks are certified NIOSH, Health Canada warns about using those which are not.
The federal agency advises that you check whether your N95 respirator has been certified by the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). If not, your mask may be fraudulent or unauthorized and you should stop using it as it may not protect you against COVID-19.
Health Canada recommends face mask users learn about the proper use of face masks, following which they get confirmation that the product has been certified by NIOSH by entering the approval number, which can be found on the respirator, in the NIOSH database.”
Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for the Laval News, marty@newsfirst.ca
City of Laval public works employees could be seen busily installing flood barriers and sand bags on Riviera St. in Laval-Ouest along the southern bank of the Rivière des Mille Îles on Saturday Apr. 11 as the river’s rising water level threatened to spill over onto the street.
Laval public works crews have been busy Easter weekend installing flood barriers along Riviera St. in Laval-Ouest. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)
According to the city, a total of 1.2 kilometres of anti-flood barriers are being installed along streets in Laval-Ouest that are within a short distance of the river. The city is using a combination of concrete blocks and sand bags. The city is also closely monitoring water levels.
Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for the Laval News, marty@newsfirst.ca
Sandbags ready for filling and flood barriers in the background are seen here on Riviera St. in Laval-Ouest on Sat. April 11. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)
Officials with the City of Laval say they are going to be prepared this year for flooding in some of the island’s most vulnerable riverside areas, while urging residents to also take precautions on their own.
The City of Laval is hoping there won’t be a repetition this year of scenes like this from the 2019 spring floods in Laval-Ouest.
According to the city, the most vulnerable period for flooding is in mid-April. As such, Laval plans to be ready to install an inflatable rubber barrier along the waterfront in Laval-Ouest should this become necessary.
Last year, it proved to be very helpful in deterring surges of floodwater. The city is also offering free sand bags for property owners to stack around their grounds to keep flood waters out.
Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for the Laval News, marty@newsfirst.ca
Quebec Tourism Minister Caroline Proulx joined two other members of the CAQ cabinet on Friday in calling on the organizers of public events over the coming summer to cancel or postpone at least until Aug. 31 because of the ongoing COVID-19 virus crisis.
Quebec Tourism Minister Caroline Proulx is calling for the postponement or cancellation of public events until Aug. 31 because of COVID-19.
“The government of Quebec has had to make a difficult but necessary decision,” Proulx said in a statement. “We are aware of the impacts this represents for organizers, and we thank them for their contribution to the collective effort. We will be there to prepare a strong recovery in order to see Quebec and its festivities shine brightly a soon as possible.”
She was joined by Culture and Communications Minister Nathalie Roy, as well as delegated Education Minister Isabelle Charest, in the statement. They said the government is considering various alternative ways to support the festivals which would have been taking place this summer.
The province’s announcement comes after Laval mayor Marc Demers stated on April 7 during the most recent city council meeting that he preferred to wait until May before deciding whether to cancel Laval’s Fête nationale celebration and the more than $600,000 expense it entails.
While Laval is Quebec’s third largest municipality, it became second only to Montreal for deaths from the COVID-19 virus on April 9 – with a total of 41 fatalities.
Quebec public health authorities say a long road lies ahead before COVID-19 is contained.
The number of COVID-19 deaths in Laval to this date was less than half Montreal’s 93 fatalities, but still significantly ahead of the third-ranking region, Mauricie-et-Centre-du-Québec, which had 29 deaths from the disease.
In Québec, to date, according to Santé Québec officials, there were 10,912 confirmed cases of COVID‑19, including a total of 216 deaths. Laval ranks third in the province for confirmed cases (897), behind Montérégie (1,108) and Montreal (5,262).
Quebec’s director-general for public health, Horacio Arruda, has ordered an inquiry by his department into the high rate of infection and mortality at the CHSLD Sainte-Dorothée, as well as at other health institutions in the province where there have been severe outbreaks of COVID-19 infection.
The CHSLD Sainte-Dorothée on Samson Blvd.
At least half the residents at CHSLD Sainte-Dorothée have come down with the coronavirus infection, as have many of the staff members.
While the CISSS de Laval maintains that normal procedures at the CHSLD have been followed, the toll at the Samson Blvd. long-term care facility stands in contrast to two other Laval-areas CHSLDs where there were no reports to date of COVID-19 infection. Up to April 8, there were 28 fatalities from COVID-19 in Laval, 13 of which were at the CHSLD Sainte-Dorothée.
Four members of the staff at the Centre de jeunesse de Laval (the region’s youth protection authority) are infected with the COVID-19 virus, while four others are waiting to hear whether they too are infected after undergoing testing.
Staff at the Centre de jeunesse de Laval are being tested for COVID-19 infection.
The CISSS de Laval confirmed that the employees found to be infected were asymptomatic while working from April 1-4, but that they withdrew into isolation at home following the diagnosis. The CISSS maintained on April 8 that no clients of the centre had been found to be showing symptoms of the virus.
The death toll at the CHSLD Sainte-Dorothée from COVID-19 stood at 13 by mid-day on April 8, the CISSS de Laval said in a statement issued at 1 pm. The CHSLD has been the scene of the highest number of COVID-19 fatalities in an institutional setting in Quebec since the crisis began.
According to the regional health authority, 831 cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Laval to that date and time, an increase of 72 cases since the previous day. The number of fatalities was 28, there were 38 hospitalizations, eight of those hospitalized were in intensive care, and 131 CISSS employees were infected.
Chomedey had the most number of infection cases with 142, while Fabreville/Sainte-Rose had the least with 95 confirmations. (The CISSS noted that these per-sector numbers don’t include cases from CHSLDs and seniors residences.)
Testing for COVID-19 at the CHSLD Sainte-Dorothée conducted by the CISSS de Laval indicate that at least 69 of the long term care residence’s 174 clients are infected with the virus, the CISSS said in a statement on April 7. They said that all employees at the CHSLD are being subjected to preventive testing to limit transmission by asymptomatic workers.
In addition to the existing follow-up measures and to reassure family members, the CISSS de Laval is setting up a special team in charge of communicating with them so that family members will be able to get answers to their questions and receive support.
The CHSLD Sainte-Dorothée on Samson Blvd.
Management at CHSLD Sainte-Dorothée say they have taken the following measures since the start of the pandemic:
Clinical staff from other facilities were transferred to the Centre d’hébergement Sainte-Dorothée to support their colleagues and provide care and services to residents. These staff members will remain at Ste-Dorothée and will not be transferred back to other facilities. Managers from other departments came to lend a hand and helped to coordinate the concerted efforts of staff. Two members of the infection prevention and control team are on site to ensure compliance with the protection and prevention measures. It is now mandatory to wear personal protective equipment for all contact with residents to protect staff and users. Employees must change their gown and gloves if they have contact with a person infected with COVID-19. Employees must now wear a procedural mask and safety glasses at all times. Starting April 7, everyone is required to wear a procedural mask in all facilities for any contact. This includes contact between colleagues, if less than 2 metres away.
Despite reports of shortages of face masks and other protective equipment, the CISSS says it is monitoring the situation. “There is enough for each employee who is required to wear such protection,” they said, adding that “at the moment, there are two guaranteed deliveries per day.”
