Quebec urges people to stop calling 811 for COVID-19 concerns

The Quebec government is now urging people to stop calling 811 if they have symptoms of the coronavirus. This comes after Info-Sant lines were overwhelmed by phone calls this week.

Instead, patients are asked to call1-877-644-4545. That phone line, which had been strictly for information purposes earlier, will now double as a triage line, where health authorities can assess callers' symptoms.

People with flu-like symptoms are asked to call thatinformation linebefore heading to one of the province'sCOVID-19 testing clinics.

"We have made this service much more robust," Quebec Health Minister Danielle McCann said Friday. "Whether people just need information orhave symptoms, they have to call this number from now on."

In recent days callers had been subject to wait times at 811 far beyond the normand, in some cases,put on holdforseveral hours.

On Thursday, Francine Dupuis, the assistantdirector for the (CIUSSS) du Centre-Ouest-de-l'le-de-Montral, said they were working to recruit more staff.

She said they are askingnurses who are retired or at home for various reasons to get in touch. They'll offer to give them their licenses back and train them to help triage cases.