MARIA – The Gaspé Peninsula and Magdalen Islands Public Health Board is reporting 10 additional cases of COVID-19 in the region.
Eight cases are attributable to the outbreak at the IGA grocery stores in Paspebiac and New Richmond.
Today’s results also include one Manoir du Havre resident, 28 out of the 30 residents at that facility have been infected.
The tenth newly infected person is a Health Department employee.
The regional total of COVID-19 cases has reached 135. One person has recovered from the virus, bringing the total of recovered individuals to 33. There are no new casualties and three people are currently hospitalized. There is only one person being treated in intensive care at Rimouski hospital, compared to two the previous day.
Dr. Yv Bonnier-Viger, the region’s director of Public Health, remarks that the regional curve seems to be flattening over recent days. “We report between zero and 10 new cases on a daily basis, for an average of six or seven. It is the result of the collective action of the area’s people regarding social distancing and the necessity to avoid meetings.”
The latest outbreak, affecting the IGA grocery stores in Paspebiac and New Richmond consists of 14 cases, so far. Both stores were closed on Friday, April 17, and reopened the following morning after being disinfected. However, the emergence of two new cases on April 19, forced the owners, Nancy Arbour and Gilles Leblanc, to close the Paspebiac IGA to customers once again. It remains open for employees to complete orders, that customers make online, and then pick up at the door. It is unknown when the store will reopen.