Hospitals outside Montreal contend with COVID-19

A growing number ofhospitals outside the Montreal area, which haven't been designated to take on COVID-19 patients, are dealing with outbreaks of the virus.

At least 13 patients and 16 health-care workers tested positive for COVID-19 at Honor-Mercier Hospital in Saint-Hyacinthe after staff returned from helping at long-term care homes.

The hospitalis a "cold" establishment, which means it can't take inpatients with the disease.

"This is very serious," saidAlexandre Bgin,the president of the local union representing health-care workers.

"COVID-19 isn't supposed to be there."

Bgin believes the workers were infected by going to help in long-term care homes over the weekend.

"Our theory is that employees moved from hot to cold zones," he said.

The infected patients were transferred to designated COVID-19 hospitals, such as Pierre-Boucher in Longueuil.

Other hospitals not designated to receive COVID-19 cases outside Montreal have also reported cases.

According to Radio-Canada, there have been cases at theLanaudire Regional Hospital outside Joliette.

In Longueuil, two "cold" units at the Charles-Le MoyneHospital in Longueuil are affected. Thirty-seven patients tested positive and were transferred out of the units.

Emergency rooms in some regions off the island of Montreal are also showing signs of crowding, includingat Lanaudire Regional and some hospitals in the Laurentians and in the Montrgie.

In Montreal, Jean-Talon and Verdun hospitals are also not designated to receive COVID-19 patients but experienced outbreaks.