Limiting the spread of variants to help all Montrealers
Montreal - March 19, 2021 – CIUSSS West-Central Montreal and Montreal’s Regional Public Health Department announced on Thursday the launch of a pilot project to reduce the spread of COVID-19 variants in Côte Saint-Luc and in the area around Plamondon Avenue.
Given this special situation, the COVID-19 vaccine will be available to parents of children who attend a school or daycare centre in the affected neighbourhoods. The vaccine will also be administered to school and daycare staff who come into direct contact with the children. This includes teachers and educators.
"To quickly limit the spread of the British variant of the virus, which is much more contagious, we have a very small window of opportunity," says Dr. Mylène Drouin, Montreal's Director of Public Health. "In collaboration with CIUSSS West-Central Montreal, and with the support of all of the CEOs of the healthcare network in Montreal, we have decided to rapidly deploy a pilot project in the two areas where the variants are spreading rapidly, in an attempt to extinguish the fire. These areas represent 26% of all of our new cases of the variants. By limiting their spread, everyone in Montreal will be better protected."
The two-week pilot project begins on Monday, March 22, with 10,000 to 15,000 doses available for vaccination.
"We are very pleased and grateful to be working with the Montreal Public Health Department," says Francine Dupuis, Associate CEO of CIUSSS West-Central Montreal. "Also, let's not forget that even if someone has been vaccinated, they should still wear a mask, physically distance and wash their hands often. Now is not the time to let our guard down."
Parents and members of staff who are involved in this pilot project will be contacted by their respective schools or daycare centres and will be told how to make an appointment for vaccination.
The announcement of the pilot project was made at the Université de Montréal - Campus MIL in Park Extension, one of CIUSSS West-Central Montreal's three public vaccination centres. This site (1375 Thérèse-Lavoie-Roux Avenue, H2V 0B3) opened on Friday, March 19, at 8:00 a.m.
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For questions related to CIUSSS West-Central Montreal:
Barry Morgan
Media Relations Specialist
CIUSSS West-Central Montreal
barry.morgan.ccomtl@ssss.gouv.qc.ca
For questions about Montreal’s Regional Public Health Department:
Media Relations-CIUSSS Centre-Sud Montréal Relations.medias.ccsmtl@ssss.gouv.qc.ca
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