Quebec Premier speaks to media during Quebec's daily COVID-19 briefing on April 13. Photo: CPAC
Over the weekend Quebec’s Premier Francois Legault announced that a senior care home in Montreal had seen 31 of its residents die since March 19.
The facility called, Residence Herron houses around 150 residents and is marketed as a luxury complex. Monthly fees have been reported to start around $2,000.
Officials were able to confirm the 31 deaths on Friday.
Provincial Health authorities first visited Residence Herron on March 26th. The visit was prompted after one of the residents passed away at the Jewish General Hospital.
When health officials arrived Premier Legault says they found residents hadn’t been fed, were covered in urine and feces and many of the staff had deserted the facility.
Two residents passed away shortly after health officials arrived and they have since confirmed that five of the deceased were confirmed to have had COVID-19.
The other cases are still under investigation.
Legault made the announcement on Saturday which he was scheduled to be off but he felt it was too important to wait. “Obviously, there’s an investigation, so I should be cautious, but I don’t feel like it. You know it doesn’t make sense when you arrive at a facility and the majority of the staff are gone. So I think it looks a lot like gross negligence.”
The Premier went on to say he has asked the police to investigate the issue along with provincial health officials.
The company that operates Residence Herron, Katasa also owns six other care homes and some residential and commercial properties.
They have yet to issue an official response and on the 26th after provincial health first inspected the site they refused to turn over residents’ medical records. They have since provided the medical records after a court order.
