The CIUSSS de l'Ouest-de-l'Île-de-Montréal takes stock of the situation at CHSLD Herron

POINTE-CLAIRE, QC, April 11, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ - The CIUSSS de l'Ouest-de-l'Île-de-Montréal (CIUSSS) wanted to provide an update on the situation at CHSLD Herron, a private residence for seniors in Dorval. Several pieces of information about the residence have been brought to the attention of the CIUSSS in the last few hours, which has led it to communicate with police authorities in order to launch an investigation.

On March 29, the CIUSSS intervened in support of the owners of the CHSLD Herron, in the context of the sanitary emergency. Despite this situation, the owners of the residence did not fully cooperate, forcing the CIUSSS to send them formal notice twice and an order from the Direction de la Santé publique de Montréal on April 8. This order, issued under section 106 of the Public Health Act, allows the CIUSSS to order any measure it deems necessary to prevent a threat to the health of the population from worsening, to diminish its effects or to eliminate it.

Following the order, the CIUSSS was able to begin its analysis of the situation at CHSLD Herron. In the last few hours, verification led to the identification of 31 deaths at the residence since March 13. Of these cases, five are confirmed to be related to COVID-19, including the two cases already identified. This situation is worrisome and the CIUSSS wishes to fully shed light on the circumstances surrounding this significant number of deaths.

"Rest assured that we are taking the situation at CHSLD Herron very seriously. Therefore, we have requested its interim management and have contacted the police authorities. We understand this is a difficult situation for the residents and their families. We offer our condolences to the relatives of the deceased residents. We are committed to making all necessary verification and to ensuring open and constant communication with the families. Our teams are now in place, fully operational and mobilized to ensure the safety and well-being of the residents," said Lynne McVey, President and CEO of the CIUSSS de l'Ouest-de-l'Île-de-Montréal.

The CIUSSS has established communications with the families of the residents, based on the information provided by the owners. We are making every effort to keep them informed of the progress of the situation. Furthermore, families can contact the CIUSSS at any time at 514 630-2123.

SOURCE CIUSSS de l'Ouest-de-l'Île-de-Montréal