A four-year-old girl died “due to circumstances related to the COVID-19 “, announced the CHU of Quebec on Monday.
In a press release, the establishment offered its condolences to the parents. The CHU has indicated that it does not wish to make any further comments, for reasons of confidentiality and respect for the bereaved family.
The COVID-19 vaccine is not available to children under five in Quebec. The death of a child with the virus is not common in Quebec, despite the increase in the number of infections. One baby less than two months old died last December at the Sainte-Justine University Hospital Center.
In the minutes following the announcement of the death, the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, reacted on Twitter.
“This news is incredibly sad. I want to offer my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of this little girl, ”he wrote.
The mayor of Quebec, Bruno Marchand, also offered his condolences to the girl’s family.
“How sad!” writes the chosen one on Facebook. “This pandemic has not been gentle for many of us, we have lost loved ones, we have had to put off beautiful and good times for later, we are tired, but this news is a real knife in the heart.”
The National Institute of Public Health of Quebec reports that 560 children under the age of 10 have had to be hospitalized due to COVID since the start of the pandemic.
During this period, the coronavirus infected 74,844 children in this age group, representing 9.3% of the total cases in the province.