COVID-19 : Police, MRC, Public Health give updates as peak nears

A press conference bringing together Dr. Julie Loslier, director of Monteregie Public Health; Christian Ouellette, prefect of De Roussillon MRC and Mayor of Delson, as well as three directors of police services from the Roussillon territory, was broadcast live on Facebook Wednesday. It was a first in the region at the approach of the dreaded peak of the pandemic. Among the highlights, the authorities insisted on the importance of respecting the orders. Dr.Loslier reminded that one could be infected by the COVID-19 without showing any symptoms. The MRC de Roussillon on which numerous farms are found, and foreign workers arriving as reinforcements will be well surrounded, Dr. Loslier ensured. “They will be accompanied step by step from the departure from their country of origin until their return there,” she affirmed. Ouellette said that the municipalities and elected officials are working hand in hand to support citizens and enterprises. Several towns have communicated with their residents aged 70 and over, parks and playgrounds have been closed, and some municipalities have offered support to food assistance groups and they have exchanged fire protection material, he listed. Ouellette saluted “the good work” of five elected officials from the territory, both provincial and federal. Respecting orders The great majority of citizens and merchants respect the orders connected to COVID-19, noted the directors of police services from the territory. They emphasized that they were above all relying on sensitization. Chateauguay police director Stephane Fleury said that as of this day his agents had served 24 infraction tickets on all of the territory serviced, including Chateauguay, Beauharnois, Lery and St. Isidore. “They were for refusal to cooperate and repeat offences,” he specified. Mercier police director Steeve Boutin affirmed that his service had not issued any tickets linked to the pandemic. “The sensitization was sufficient. We had no repeat offenders,” he affirmed. Marc Rodier, director of the Roussillon police department, said that he was depending on sensitization. He added that he was not disclosing the number of tickets issued.