Public health warning about measles case at Bell Centre on March 3

Fans look on as players from PWHL Montreal and Toronto stand for the national anthem ahead of their PWHL hockey game at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Saturday, April 20, 2024. (Graham Hughes, The Canadian Press)

Montreal public health issued a notice Monday about a confirmed case of measles involving someone who attended the Bell Centre last week.

According to health officials, the unvaccinated person was visiting Montreal and was contagious with measles while attending the arena on March 3.

The Bell Centre hosted a KISS-themed hockey game that day between the Montreal Canadiens and the Buffalo Sabres. A Quebec-based tribute band performed songs celebrating the legendary rock band during both intermissions that night.

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The public health notice said people were possibly exposed to measles between 5:30 p.m. and midnight. Officials say people are considered possible contacts if they were spectators or workers in red sections 111 to 117 or worked at the Tim Hortons and Pizza Pizza locations inside the venue.

If those people are unvaccinated, they are urged to get the vaccine and to self-isolate at home until March 17. Vaccinated people are unlikely to contract the disease but are advised to watch for symptoms as a precaution until March 24.

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The warning from public health comes as the English Montreal School Board (EMSB) issued a notice on Monday telling parents that unvaccinated staff and students will be immediately banned from its schools in the event of an outbreak.

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“It is strongly recommended that people who are not protected get vaccinated as soon as possible. If a case of measles occurs in a school, all adults and children who are not protected will be excluded from school for a period of up to several weeks,” the notice reads.

“We certainly hope there’s not going to be an outbreak, but it’s the prudent thing to do to warn parents and staff that if they have not received their vaccination, we strongly recommend they do so. Measles is a very serious virus,” EMSB spokesperson Michael Cohen told CTV News.

The overall vaccination rate in Montreal is currently around 80 per cent — far below the recommended rate of 95% to protect those who are not or cannot be vaccinated.

“That’s actually a very important measure, because the corollary would be that if there is a case of measles within the school, then 75 to 90 per cent of susceptible individuals will contract measles, they’ll be infected, they’ll get the disease,” said Dr. Donald Vinh, an infectious diseases specialist at the McGill University Health Centre.

The Lester B. Pearson School Board says it’s planning its own course of action.

“We are following this matter very closely. We will be finalizing our protocols this week and will share that information with our community shortly,” a spokesperson said Monday.

The Centre de services scolaire de Montréal (CSSDM) says it will let the public health department dictate its strategy.

As for the EMSB, it says excluded students will be able to study from home.

“We have the playbook because of COVID in the event that people need to stay home for a significant amount of time because of any potential measles outbreak. We know how to handle it,” Cohen said.

In the meantime, health experts warn parents not to downplay the illness.

“Measles still kills people and we don’t have to look any further than the United States right now to prove that,” Vinh said.

“When they die, they usually die from pneumonia or infection of the lungs. In some instances, measles can also go to the brain [and cause] what we call encephalitis, and that can lead to things like seizures or strokes or coma.”

The vaccine is free for everyone who lives in Quebec and, after two doses, provides 95 per cent protection from measles. A health card is not required for the shot.

Appointments for vaccinations can be made on Clic Santé or by calling 811 or 1-877-644-4545.

The outbreak of measles in Quebec started in December 2024 and has grown to 31 cases as of March 7, 2025, the last date when statistics were made available. The vast majority of the cases (24) are in the Laurentians, while in Montreal there are fewer than five, according to public health.