MONTREAL —
Contrary to what three important witnesses, including former Health Minister Danielle McCann, have testified under oath, Quebec’s long-term care homes (CHSLDs) did not appear on the government’s radar until March 11, 2020.
This is what former manager responsible for civil security at the Ministry of Health Martin Simard said on Monday at coroner Gehane Kame’s inquest into long-term care homes in the province during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
His testimony contradicted McCann’s story, as well as her former deputy minister Yvan Gendron’s testimony and that of former Quebec director of public health Horacio Arruda.
All three told the inquiry that Quebec had been particularly concerned about the CHSLDs since Jan. 2020. A Jan. 28 letter to the civil security coordinators was proof of this, according to them.
“At that time, there were no indicators to ask … to look in one direction,” said Simard.
“Was the risk to the CHSLDs part of the overall risk?” asked prosecutor Julie Roberge.
“No, there was no question at that time of a clientele that was particularly vulnerable,” Simard replied.
“It was not a named issue. (…) It was on March 11 that we can consider, that we were talking about an issue expressed by someone in authority or by a public health respondent.”
— This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Jan. 17, 2021.
