Quebec has recorded its first COVID-19 outbreak at a daycare, says the director of public health for the Lanaudière region.

The daycare centre — an emergency childcare service for essential workers in Mascouche — was closed on Monday, Dr. Richard Lessard said in a virtual news conference on Wednesday.

Mascouche is 50 kilometres northwest of Montreal.

Twelve out of 27 children contracted COVID-19, as did four employees, Lessard said. No one was hospitalized.

Twelve out of 27 children contracted COVID-19

The first case was confirmed on April 30. The children have been in quarantine at home since then.

“We can expect more outbreaks in other daycares,” Lessard warned.

And as “this is the first case in Quebec, it will be thoroughly investigated,” he added.

It is not yet known how the first child in the daycare was infected. Work is underway to identify the starting point, Lessard said.

Lessard recommended the daycare, attached to École Mennais, be closed for 14 days.

The Lanaudière public health department is postponing the reopening of schools and daycare service

Because of an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the region, the Lanaudière public health department is postponing the reopening of schools and daycare services in three regional county municipalities: Joliette, Les Moulins and Assumption.

They had been scheduled to reopen on May 11. Their doors will now reopen on May 19.

As of Wednesday, there have been 2,606 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 106 deaths in Lanaudière.