by: t’cha dunlevy
lack of staff, contaminations by staff and the refusal of the owners of chsld herron to co-operate with police investigators were some of the possible reasons cited for the deadly covid-19 outbreak at the private long-term care facility on the first day of the inquest into the matter led by coroner géhane kamel.
sergeant-detective andréanne laplante and montreal public health director mylène drouin testified tuesday morning.
laplante was part of a team of investigators that arrived at the facility on april 11, 2020, warrants in hand, following a complaint received during the night. by that point, deaths were piling up at the residence.
“our goal was to get proof — computers, documentation, lists of residents, staff, families,” laplante said. “my team and i spent the night and the weeks that followed continuing our investigation.”
they requested interviews with some 60 witnesses, 10 of whom refused — including the owners of chsld herron.
the outbreak at the centre,
first reported by the montreal gazette’s aaron derfel on april 10
, was the first real sign that the pandemic was spiralling out of control in quebec’s long-term care facilities at the beginning of the first wave.