MARCH 24TH: High-school students to return to class and seniors to return to group dining
High school students (Secondary 3, 4, and 5) will be returning to class full-time across all of Quebec starting Monday.
Premier François Legault made the announcement this afternoon at a press conference, stating it is one more way the province can further ease its COVID-19 restrictions.
“And for me, that is wonderful news, because that's where our children should be, in school every day," Legault said.
Public Health Director Dr. Horacio Arruda added that reopening schools is always "a risk," but that the risk is manageable.
Legault also announced that seniors living in group homes where 75 per cent of residents have been vaccinated will be allowed to eat again in their group dining rooms starting March 24.
“We’re resisting the variants and the third wave, but the battle is not over,” Legault said at a news conference at the legislature.
MARCH 23RD: Legault to be vaccinated Friday as Quebec hits one million vaccinations
As vaccination continues to ramp up across Canada, Quebec hit a huge milestone Tuesday afternoon as one million people have now received the vaccine.
"Over the next few days, we'll be close to 50,000 vaccine doses a day," Premier François Legault said at a press conference this afternoon.
The premier, who is 63, says he plans to get vaccinated himself this week.
“I asked my team to register me to get the COVID vaccine in Montreal on Friday,” he said. “I didn’t want to skip the line, so I am registering like everyone else.”
He added that he's not sure which vaccine he'll be offered, but he'll take whichever one he's given.
“You can come to see if I’ll be less scared than Christian [Dubé],” he joked. “I am ready to get vaccinated.
Quebec reported 656 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, bringing the total number of infections since the start of the pandemic to 303,707 across the province.
The seven-day average of new cases now stands at 709 per day and there are currently 6,742 active cases in Quebec. Among them, there are now 704 confirmed coronavirus variant cases with an estimated number of presumed cases jumping to a total of 3,423.
Unfortunately, four new deaths were also reported, one of which occurred over the previous 24 hours.
The three other deaths occurred between March 16 and 21.
There are currently 519 hospitalized in the province due to the virus. Among them, 113 are in intensive care.
Over the course of the pandemic, 10,618 people have died in the province due to COVID-19.
MARCH 23RD: Quebec reports under 700 new COVID-19 cases
Quebec reported 656 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, bringing the total number of infections since the start of the pandemic to 303,707 across the province.
The seven-day average of new cases now stands at 709 per day and there are currently 6,742 active cases in Quebec. Among them, there are now 704 confirmed coronavirus variant cases with an estimated number of presumed cases jumping to a total of 3,423.
Unfortunately, four new deaths were also reported, one of which occurred over the previous 24 hours.
The three other deaths occurred between March 16 and 21.
There are currently 519 hospitalized in the province due to the virus. Among them, 113 are in intensive care.
Over the course of the pandemic, 10,618 people have died in the province due to COVID-19.
A total of 993,102 doses have now been administered.
MARCH 2ND: Quebec reports lowest COVID-19 case increase since September
For the second day in a row, Quebec public health reported the province’s lowest daily COVID-19 increase in several months.
A total of 588 COVID-19 cases were added over the last 24 hours, the lowest daily count since September 23, when 582 new cases were registered.
Sadly, the province also reported eight new deaths, for a total of 10,407 since March 2020. Of those deaths, one happened in the last 24 hours, six between Feb. 23 and Feb. 28, and another one happened before that period.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, 288,941 people have caught the virus, and 271,156 have recovered.
As of Monday morning, a total of 455,328 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine have been administered across the province.
MARCH 1: Seniors in Montreal age 70 and over can now make appointments for COVID-19 vaccines
Quebec is now allowing anyone over the age of 70 in Montreal to book an appointment to get a COVID-19 vaccination.
Laval and Cote-Nord have also reduced their minimum age to 70.
Montreal residents can register on the Clic Sante website.
You can also book an appointment by calling 1-877-644-4545 on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., and on weekends between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Please note that medicare cards will not be necessary to book appointments.
According to the website, a person who accompanies someone who is 85 years of age or older to a vaccination appointment may get the vaccine at the same time if they meet the following criteria:
They are 70 years of age or older;
They provide support to their loved one who is over 85 years of age 3 or more days a week.
Only one accompanying person can get vaccinated per person over 85 years of age.
**We recommend you double check this info when booking an appointment**
Where you can get vaccinated:
Not all sites have been announced. Here are the ones in the Montreal area we know about:
Palais des congres de Montreal - 1001 Jean-Paul-Riopelle Place
The Olympic Stadium - 4545 Pierre-de Coubertin Avenue
Decarie Square Shopping Centre - 6900 Décarie Boulevard
A shared office building - 7101 Parc Avenue
|Bill-Durnan Arena - 4988 Vézina Street
Bob-Birnie Arena - 58 Maywood Avenue (Pointe-Claire)
The Dollard-St-Laurent Sports Centre - 707 75e Avenue (LaSalle)
Gerry-Robertson Community Centre - 9665 Gouin Boulivard W (Pierrefonds-Roxboro)
Montreal General Hospital (Livingston Hall - L6-500) - 1650 Cedar Avenue
Glen Superhospital Site (Atrium of the MUHC Research Institute) - 1001 Decarie Boulevard
The West-Central Montreal regional health authority has also named several temporary vaccination sites.
They are:
Jewish General Hospital - 3755 Cote-Sainte-Catherine Road
CLSC Metro - 1801 de Maisonneuve Boulevard
CLSC de Parc Extension - 7085 Hutchison
Here is the map of the announced vaccination sites in Montreal.
Here is a regional breakdown of the minimum age per territory.
Abitibi-Témiscamingue: 80 years and over
Bas-Saint-Laurent: 80 years and over
Capitale-Nationale: 80 years and over
Chaudière-Appalaches: 85 years and over
North Coast: 70 years and over
Eastern Townships: 85 years and over
Gaspesie: 85 years and over
Lanaudiere: 85 years and over
Laurentians: 85 years and over
Laval: 70 years and over
Mauricie and Centre-du-Quebec: 85 years and over
Monteregie: 85 years and over
Montreal: 70 years and over
Northern Quebec: 85 years and over
Outaouais: 85 years and over
Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean: 85 years and over
FEBRUARY 26TH: Health Canada approves third and fourth COVID-19 vaccines
Health Canada has approved two new COVID-19 vaccines. On Friday morning, the federal health agency announced the approval of the AstraZeneca vaccine and the Serum Institute of India vaccine, India’s version of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Canada has pre-ordered 20 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which was co-developed by researchers at the University of Oxford and will receive an additional 1.9 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine through the global vaccine-sharing initiative known as COVAX by the end of June.
The vaccines are authorized for use in people over 18 years of age and are administered as a two-dose regimen. Doses of the AstraZeneca shot can be stored at temperatures between 2 C to 8 C, while the other two require ultra-cold freezers much like the Pfizer vaccine.
Approval of the much talked about Johnson and Johnson’s vaccine will likely not come until early March and the Novavax vaccine is not expected until April, the earliest.
Health Canada says the vaccine is 62% effective at preventing cases of COVID-19, overall.
Approximately 1.7 million doses of those formulas have been administered in Canada.
For more information, we recommend reading this very detailed report from the Montreal Gazette.
FEBRUARY 24TH: What seniors should know when booking an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine in Quebec
What seniors should know when booking an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine in Quebec
Quebec will begin vaccinating seniors age 85 and over against COVID-19. Montreal is expecting to give out at least 75,000 vaccine doses in the first week to people born in or before 1936 who do not live-in long-term care homes or seniors’ residences.
You can book appointments, starting at 8 a.m. February 24, via québec.ca/covidvaccine.
You can also book an appointment by calling 1-877-644-4545 on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., and on weekends between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Please note that medicare cards will not be necessary to book appointments.
According to the website, a person who accompanies someone who is 85 years of age or older to a vaccination appointment may get the vaccine at the same time if they meet the following criteria:
They are 70 years of age or older;
They provide support to their loved one who is over 85 years of age 3 or more days a week.
Only one accompanying person can get vaccinated per person over 85 years of age.
**We recommend you double check this info when booking an appointment**
Where you can get vaccinated:
Not all sites have been announced. Here are the ones in the Montreal area we know about:
Palais des congres de Montreal - 1001 Jean-Paul-Riopelle Place
The Olympic Stadium - 4545 Pierre-de Coubertin Avenue
Decarie Square Shopping Centre - 6900 Décarie Boulevard
A shared office building - 7101 Parc Avenue
Bill-Durnan Arena - 4988 Vézina Street
Bob-Birnie Arena - 58 Maywood Avenue (Pointe-Claire)
The Dollard-St-Laurent Sports Centre - 707 75e Avenue (LaSalle)
Gerry-Robertson Community Centre - 9665 Gouin Boulivard W (Pierrefonds-Roxboro)
Montreal General Hospital (Livingston Hall - L6-500) - 1650 Cedar Avenue
Glen Superhospital Site (Atrium of the MUHC Research Institute) - 1001 Decarie Boulevard
The West-Central Montreal regional health authority has also named several temporary vaccination sites. They are:
Jewish General Hospital - 3755 Cote-Sainte-Catherine Road
CLSC Metro - 1801 de Maisonneuve Boulevard
CLSC de Parc Extension - 7085 Hutchison
FEBRUARY 23RD: Quebec will begin vaccinating seniors next week
Quebec will begin vaccinating seniors age 85 and over against COVID-19 starting next week.
Premier Francois Legault made the announcement today from a press conference at Montreal’s Olympic stadium stating it will go by birth year with the first dose given to people born in 1936 or earlier.
He was joined by Health Minister Christian Dube and Health Director Dr. Horacio Arruda. According to Legault, people are asked to book an appointment online starting on Thursday.
Once you get the first shot, health-care professionals will be able to confirm the date of the second shot.
More information for those 75 years and older is expected to be announced in the coming days.
According to Statistics Canada, there are 753,760 people age 70 to 79 in Quebec. Among those, 326,644 seniors are 80-89 and 78,965 are between 90 to 99. Surprisingly, there are also 2,835 seniors 100 and over.
Since Dec. 14, over 350,000 Quebecers have received shots. The first phase of the vaccination campaign in Quebec placed a priority on residents in CHSLDs and other senior homes as well as health-care workers.
Quebec is expected to receive 600,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine over the next six weeks to add to the 107,640 doses received this week along with 28,500 doses of the Moderna vaccine.
Quebec reported Tuesday that 739 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. The province also reported 13 new deaths linked to the virus, including one death in the past 24 hours.
There are currently 680 people in the hospital due to the virus. Of those, 120 are in the intensive care ward.
Since the start of the pandemic, 10,330 people have died due to the novel coronavirus in Quebec.
Where to get vaccinated
Not all sites have been announced yet but here are the ones in the Montreal area that have been confirmed:
Palais des congres de Montreal - 1001 Jean-Paul-Riopelle Place
The Olympic Stadium - 4545 Pierre-de Coubertin Avenue
Decarie Square Shopping Centre - 6900 Décarie Boulevard
A shared office building - 7101 Parc Avenue
Bill-Durnan Arena - 4988 Vézina Street
Bob-Birnie Arena - 58 Maywood Avenue (Pointe-Claire)
The Dollard-St-Laurent Sports Centre - 707 75e Avenue (Lasalle)
Gerry-Robertson Community Centre - 9665 Gouin Boulivard W (Pierrefonds-Roxboro)
FEBRUARY 16TH: Quebec reports lowest COVID-19 increase since September
Quebec reported the lowest daily COVID-19 case increase in months early this morning, with 728 new infections.
That’s the lowest number of new cases since Sept. 27.
Sadly, 16 new deaths were also reported, including five over the previous 24 hours.
There are currently 804 in the province hospitalized because of the virus. Of those, 136 people are in intensive care.
Montreal was the most affected region with 316 new cases of COVID-19.
Since the start of the pandemic, Quebec has reported 277,518 cases and 10,229 deaths linked to COVID-19.
FEBRUARY 9TH: Quebec reports 11 cases of COVID-19 variants
Shortly after Quebec loosened the COVID-19 restrictions earlier this week, health officials have now they’ve detected a total of eleven cases of COVID-19 variants in Quebec.
Public health director Horacio Arruda made the announcement Tuesday afternoon, noting two of the cases were found in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region, and a third in Montreal.
The two Abitibi-Témiscamingue cases have been identified as the South African variant while the one in Montreal had its origins in California.
When referring to the "outbreaks," Arruda said that the variant's spread in Abitibi is under control.
"We had to remain vigilant," he said.
Provincial authorities had previously announced there had been eight patients infected with COVID-19 variants in the province, all which were infected with the U.K. variant.
"There are always more cases than we can predict," Arruda said. “The present numbers in Quebec are relatively low" when compared with other provinces with many more variant cases per capita, including Alberta and Ontario.
With the news, Premier François Legault announced the government hasn’t ruled out tightening COVID-19 measures before March break. If needed, Legault said he will announce further restrictions towards the end of February.
FEBRUARY 3RD: Quebec reports 890 infections, the lowest case count since November
Quebec public health is reporting a significant drop in new COVID-19 cases.
Earlier this morning, the province recorded 890 new cases, making it the first time the province has reported less than 1,000 new cases in a single day since November 3.
Unfortunately, 32 new deaths related to the virus were also reported, including 14 over the previous 24 hours.
As of this morning, the total number of hospitalized patients now stands at 1,144. The number of people in intensive care dropped by eight, for a total of 183.
The report comes as Quebecers wait for Premier François Legault to give an update on the current lockdown measures during his press conference tomorrow afternoon.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Quebec has reported 263,473 cases and 9,826 deaths linked to COVID-19.
JANUARY 26TH: Legault says Quebec could lift restrictions in some areas starting Feb. 8
At a press conference earlier this afternoon, Premier François Legault said that if the number of new daily COVID-19 cases continues to drop, some restrictions can be lifted in some regions of Quebec, as of Feb. 8.
"We're giving ourselves another week before another announcement," said Legault.
On Tuesday, officials reported Quebec's lowest daily COVID-19 case count in over nine weeks.
The Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux added 1,166 new cases of the virus, the lowest since November 24, when 1,100 cases were added to the provincial total.
Unfortunately, 57 new deaths were also reported today, including four over the previous 24 hours.
Montreal Island accounted for 479 of today’s cases and 20 of the deaths.
In addition, there are now 1,324 people across the province in the hospital because of COVID-19. Among those in the hospital, 217 are in intensive care.
"Even if the number of cases is decreasing, as long as the number of hospitalizations is going to be that high, we cannot think, in the coming weeks, that we will reopen everything and that we will be able to allow contacts," Legault added.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Quebec has reported 256,002 cases and 9,577 deaths linked to the virus.
JANUARY 25TH: More than 1,300 COVID-19 tickets handed out to lawbreakers this past week
Montreal police have been overwhelmed with phone calls regarding citizens claiming COVID-19 protocols weren’t being followed.
The Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) received hundreds of calls this past week from people who were concerned that neighbours and locals were breaking public health guidelines.
According to Montreal police, they issued a total of 773 tickets and general infraction reports between Jan. 18 and Jan. 24 connected to violations of COVID-19 regulations. Of those, 396 were handed out for not respecting the curfew which prevents citizens from travelling without a valid reason between 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Meanwhile, the Sûreté du Québec reported earlier today that between Jan. 18 and Jan. 24 its officers had issued 531 tickets and general infraction reports connected to COVID-19 regulation violations, with 379 of those violations involving folks who broke the curfew order.
The previous week, the SQ had issued 587 tickets and infraction reports, 499 of those for curfew violations.
Fine for anyone breaking the rules range from $1,000 to $6,000.
JANUARY 21ST: Quebec reports 1,624 new COVID-19 cases and 66 more deaths
Early this morning, Quebec reported 1,624 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours making it the fourth consecutive day the count was below 2000. Meanwhile, the number of hospitalizations has decreased by 14 since Wednesday, for a cumulative total of 1,453 across the province with 216 patients in intensive care.
Unfortunately, Health officials have also added 66 new deaths to the total, 22 of which occurred over the past 24 hours. In total, Quebec has 9,273 virus-related deaths.
The Island of Montreal once again reported the highest increase in cases with 679 new positive tests (88,926 total). Of the 66 deaths, Montreal reported 20.
JANUARY 20TH: Quebec reports 1,502 new cases of COVID-19 as the province nears the quarter-million mark
Quebec health authorities added 1,502 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, making it the fourth straight day cases were below 2000. Unfortunately, 66 new deaths were reported, including 10 over the past 24 hours.
Montreal Island accounted for 629 of today’s cases and 17 of the deaths.
The number of COVID-19 cases in the province is nearing a grim new milestone as total cases are nearing a quarter million. As it stands, Quebec has reported 247,236 cases and 9,208 deaths linked to COVID-19.
A total of 219,592 who have contracted the disease have since recovered.
There are currently 1,467 people hospitalized across the province because of the virus. Intensive care numbers increased by four, for a total of 216.
Unfortunately, Quebec also lags other provinces in vaccinations. The province has fallen behind other provinces in the percentage of doses administered and per-capita doses administered.
As of Tuesday, Quebec administered 10,207 vaccine doses, bringing the total to 174,260. That includes 41,685 doses administered in Montreal.
Over the past week, just under 67,000 people were vaccinated.
JANUARY 19TH: Daily COVID-19 cases continue to drop in Quebec
Quebec reported 1,386 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, as daily case counts continue to trend downwards.
Unfortunately, the province also reported 55 new deaths. Among those 55 deaths, 16 occurred in the last 24 hours.
“Even if the drop in the number of cases is encouraging, we must remain cautious because the positivity rate remains high,” Health Minister Christian Dubé said via Twitter, noting the number of tests was low on the weekend.
Montreal Island was once again hit the hardest with 479 of today’s cases and 19 of the deaths.
Following Montreal is Monteregie with 268 new cases, for a total of 35,049. Next is Quebec City (127 new, 20,576 total), Laval (125 new, 20,666 total), and the Laurentides (97 new, 13,405 total).
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Quebec has reported 245,734 cases and 9,142 deaths linked to COVID-19.
A total of 217,575 who have contracted the disease have since recovered.
JANUARY 18TH Canada’s COVID-19 case count has passed 700-thousand and Quebec has now seen more than 9-Thousand deaths…
9,055 people have died from COVID-19 in Quebec. There was some good news this weekend; yesterday was the third day in a row that Quebec reported a drop in hospitalizations – 14 people are back home, bringing the number of Quebecers hospitalized for COVID-19 to 1460.
Researchers are launching a pilot project next week at two Montreal high schools to test “rapid COVID-19 tests”. We have 1 million rapid tests in storage, another million are on the way, but Quebec is worried about accuracy and is reluctant to use them.
So, they’re going to randomly test 25 percent of the staff and students at a school in Montreal North and one in Outremont – if all goes well, access to rapid testing could be a game-changer for schools and essential workers.
JANUARY 15TH: Quebec is going to move forward with a 90-day delay between the 1st and 2nd vaccine doses…
90 is the maximum, they’re aiming for 42, and while it's more days than the national advisory committee recommended they are not opposing it.
Quebec’s Health Minister says In our context, that is the best strategy,” at least until April, when vaccine deliveries from Ottawa is expected accelerate in full force
JANUARY 12: Quebec reports 1,934 cases, 47 deaths
Quebec added fewer than 2,000 cases of COVID-19 for the second day in a row on Tuesday.
Health officials reported 1,934 new cases of COVID-19 and 47 deaths linked to the virus. Among the deaths, 13 occurred over the past 24 hours.
As of Tuesday morning, 1,497 people were in the hospital due to COVID-19 and among those in the hospital, 221 are in intensive care.
“The growth in cases over the last few weeks is reflected in the hospitalizations, which continue to mount,” Health Minister Christian Dubé said. “This increase has major consequences for the situation in our hospitals.”
As usual, Montreal was the hardest hit region in the province, recording 597 new cases, for a total of 82,483 so far.
Quebec has reported 232,624 cases and 8,782 deaths linked to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. A total of 199,920 who have contracted the disease have since recovered.
On Monday, Quebec administered 7,058 doses of vaccine, bringing the total to 99,510.
To date, 115,375 doses have been received by the province.
JANUARY 11TH: Hospitalizations in Quebec are up, but the daily case count finally dipped below 2000 yesterday.
The province announced 1869 new cases yesterday On Monday, hospitalizations attributable to the novel coronavirus climbed by 56 to 1,436. Of those patients, 211 are in intensive care, a rise of eight. Legault described the situation in Quebec hospitals as “critical,” especially in the Montreal region.
Montreal was the most affected region in the province, logging 750 new cases, for a total of 81,886 since March 2020.
JANUARY 7TH: Everything you need to know about Quebec's four-week curfew
As the rising number of COVID-19 cases threatens to overload the health-care system, Premier François Legault announced a four-week curfew starting on Saturday, to curb the rising number of cases and hospitalizations.
While Legault did lay out a ton of information during his press conference, we did receive quite a bit of feedback from readers who were confused about specific rules. To help answer your questions, we’ve whipped up a list of everything we know so far. We understand this can be overwhelming, so hopefully, this will help clear up some confusion.
Here is everything you need to know about the curfew:
Regarding Travel and Outdoor Activities
Quebecers will need to stay in their homes from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. between January 9 to February 8. People will not be allowed to leave their homes during those times without a valid reason. Legault called it a “shock treatment” that he believes is required. If you do not comply, you risk a fine of up to $6,000.
People are permitted to leave their homes for health and humanitarian reasons or priority work.
Anyone delivering goods and those managing supply chains can continue to operate as usual.
Anyone traveling to an airport, bus, or train station is permitted to do so.
Residents can walk their dogs within one kilometre of their homes.
Quebecers aren’t permitted to gather with anyone outdoors unless they reside with them.
Individual activities will be allowed outdoors, including walking, skating, and skiing but team sports with anyone you don’t live with, will not be allowed.
Sports and recreational activities within family bubbles will be accepted.
“For people who have a good reason to be outside of their home, police officers will understand and there won’t be any problems,” said the deputy premier. “It’s the responsibility of the person to show police they have a good reason to be outside their house between 8 pm and 5 am.”
Businesses:
Grocery stores and dépanneurs will have to close at 7:30 p.m. The premier did say an exception will be made for depanneurs that double as gas stations and pharmacies which will be able to stay open past 8 pm.
Health services (dentists, optometrists, clinics) can remain open.
Quebec liquor stores (SAQs) and cannabis shops (SQDCs) will remain open.
Spas, hair salons, and other personal care institutions must close.
Massage and physical therapy services will remain open.
Non-essential businesses including restaurants, gyms, museums, venues, movie theatres, and so on, will remain closed until at least February 8.
Restaurants can offer take-out before 8 pm and businesses will be allowed to provide on-site pickup for products purchased online.
It will be mandatory for office workers to work from home and all non-essential businesses as well as places of worship will be closed until Feb. 8.
Manufacturing sectors can remain open.
Drop-in daycare centres will be closed
Libraries except for circulation purposes will be closed.
Regarding Education:
Adult education programs are set to restart on Jan. 18.
Travel is permitted for those travelling to and from adult education or training school.
Primary schools will open Monday on January 11th as planned but elementary school students will need to wear masks in hallways; while those in Grade 5 and 6 will have to also wear face coverings while in class.
High schools will reopen on Jan. 18 and students will be given two government-issued disposal masks per day.
School outings and inter-school activities are suspended until further notice.
Visitors to schools must be kept to a minimum.
Regarding Indoor or Outdoor Visitors to Homes
Private indoor gatherings are not permitted, and multiple visitors are not permitted at your home from another address.
Only one informal caregiver at a time is permitted to enter your home.
Service or support workers are permitted and those already hired for work on your home are permitted.
Anyone living alone is allowed, one visitor.
Other Rules:
Funerals with a maximum of 10 people excluding funeral establishment staff will be tolerated.
Protests/demonstrations are allowed so long as you wear a face covering or mask.
Community organizations' services will be tolerated.
Places of worship will be closed until Feb. 8.
JANUARY 6TH: Quebec announces new lockdown measures and a one-month curfew
Quebec becomes the first province in Canada to enforce a COVID-19 curfew
Over the past 24 hours, rumors have been circulating that the Quebec government would make an announcement placing the entire province under the tightest restrictions since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. And based on what we heard, we were expecting a lockdown unlike any ever seen in Canada, with stay-at-home orders starting at 8 p.m., enforced by police fines.
Late this afternoon, Premier François Legault addressed the province in his first press conference of 2021 and pretty much confirmed what we already knew to be true. As the rising number of COVID-19 cases threatens to overload the health-care system, Legault unveiled the details of stricter lockdown measures.
Here’s a breakdown of what we know:
Starting this week, there will be a curfew from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. from January 9 to February 8. People will not be allowed to leave their homes during those times unless travelling to or from work. Legault called it a “shock treatment” that he believes is required.
It will be mandatory for office workers to work from home and all non-essential businesses as well as places of worship will be closed until Feb. 8.
Primary schools will open Monday on January 11th as planned but elementary school students will need to wear masks in hallways; while those in Grade 5 and 6 will have to also wear face coverings while in class.
High schools will reopen on Jan. 18 but Legault said they should have more news tomorrow in regards to education.
Grocery stores and dépanneurs will have to close at 7:30 p.m., although some businesses will be allowed to provide curbside pickup. The premier also says an exception will be made for depanneurs that double as gas stations and pharmacies which will be able to stay open past 8 pm.
Individual activities will be allowed outdoors, including skating and skiing but team sports will not be allowed.
“We have to say the truth, the situation has worsened in Quebec,” said Legault. “An increase in the number of cases, hospitalizations, and the death toll has increased. Our hospitals are overloaded. The situation is bad, it’s very serious.”
****
The news comes as Quebec reported 2,641 more cases of COVID-19 over the past 24 hours along with 47 deaths.
The total number of people infected in Quebec since the start of the pandemic now stands at 217,999. The total number of deaths is now at 8,488. Among those 47 newly reported deaths, 13 occurred in the last 24 hours.
There are 24,603 known active cases of COVID-19 in the province and according to the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, there are currently 1,393 Quebecers hospitalized because of COVID-19.
Among these, the number of people in intensive care increased for a total of 202.
Montreal was hit the hardest, adding 846 new cases, for a total of 76,826 since March.
The province administered 6,221 doses of the vaccine on Tuesday, for a total of 38,984.
JANUARY 4TH 2021: Quebec kicked off the New Year with a record-breaking increase in COVID-19 cases
Between December 31st and January 2nd 7,663 more people tested positive and the province broke its daily count record Saturday with 2,869 new cases – 1300 of which were in Montreal
The total for the province is now 210,304 - 179,456 people have recovered from the disease.
The Federal government is now promising to fix the loophole in the Recovery Sickness Benefit that gives 500 a week in aid money to returning vacationers
Liberal MP and House of Commons leader called the loophole “unacceptable.”, promised the federal government will act quickly to rectify the situation. And says “It was never the intention, it was never the goal,” he said. “The measures that were put in place we're meant to help workers stay home and not contaminate their colleagues.
DECEMBER 29TH: Quebec has confirmed its first case of U.K. coronavirus variant
Quebec has recorded its first case of the U.K. variant of COVID-19.
In a statement, the province said the person had been in contact with a family member who returned from the United Kingdom. Three family members in total tested positive for COVID-19, however, only one tested positive for variant S, which researchers say could be 70 per cent more contagious than the regular coronavirus.
"This person was in contact with a family member who returned to Quebec on December 11, after a stay in the United Kingdom, and who tested positive for COVID-19 on December 13," the ministry says.
So far, three other provinces have confirmed cases of variant S, with three cases in Ontario, one in Alberta and one in British Columbia as of Tuesday morning, although public health experts warn there are likely more cases going undetected.
The new variant found in Quebec was detected by the McGill University Health Centre and confirmed by the Laboratoire de santé publique du Québec.
On Dec. 20, the Canadian government halted all passenger flights from the U.K. because of the new variant until at least January 6, 2021.
DECEMBER 28th: Quebec records 2,265 new cases of COVID-19
Quebec public health recorded 2,265 new cases of COVID-19 and 7 more deaths due to the virus on Monday morning.
There are currently 1,124 hospitalized because of COVID-19, a total of 150 in intensive care.
Montreal was once again the most affected region in the province with 946 new infections on Dec. 27, followed by Montérégie (312 new cases) and Laval (127 new cases).
The total confirmed case count since the beginning of the pandemic now stands at 68,680.
The province also confirmed that 2,327 vaccine doses have so far been delivered.
DECEMBER 22ND: Quebec reports several new daily records related to COVID-19
For the third time this week, Quebec has beaten its record for the highest single-day increase in COVID-19 cases across the province.
Quebec reported 2,183 new cases of COVID-19 earlier today, making it the fourth day in a row the province has recorded more than 2,000 new cases in a day.
Montreal also reported its highest one-day increase of 893 cases since the pandemic began.
Meanwhile, Quebec’s seven-day rolling average now stands at 2,000 cases, the most so far.
The province also added 28 deaths to the provincial total, which now stands at 7,794. Of the latest deaths, 10 occurred in the past 24 hours.
There are now 1,055 people receiving treatment in Quebec hospitals. Of them, 137 are in intensive care.
Total coronavirus cases in the province have now reached 181,276.
DECEMBER 21ST: Canada surpasses 500,000 COVID-19 cases as Quebec breaks a daily record
Canada now has over 500,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as infections continue to surge.
The country surpassed half a million cases on Saturday, an increase of 100, 000 cases in just 15 days this month, marking the shortest growth period since the start of the pandemic.
It took six months for Canada to register its first 100,000 cases of the virus, four months to reach 200,000, less than a month to hit 300,000, and 18 days to hit 400,000.
Ontario and Quebec, the two provinces hardest hit by the pandemic, each recorded over 2000 daily case counts over the weekend.
On December 18, Quebec reported 2,038 new cases, and on December 19, 2,146 new cases which is the highest daily case count in the province so far.
Earlier today, Quebec health authorities reported another 2,108 new cases of COVID-19, marking the third day in a row the province has reached over 2,000 new cases in one single day.
The updated numbers bring Quebec's total case count to 152,869 since the start of the pandemic.
7,766 Quebec residents have died from COVID-19.
DECEMBER 17TH: Vaccinations are starting at five Montreal long-term care homes throughout the island.
The sites were picked based on the number of vulnerable people living there; their size and accessibility
Each site will get 975 doses and priority will be given to residents, followed by health-care workers in those care homes followed by other health-care workers in the region.
Marie-Rollet long-term care home, Notre-Dame-de-la-Merci long-term care home, Maimonides long-term care home (where they already started) Ste-Anne’s Veteran’s Hospital, and St-Henri long-term care home.
Quebec reports 1,855 new cases as hospitalizations surpass 1,000
Quebec public health has added over 1,800 new COVID-19 cases for the second consecutive day.
The provincial government announced the alarming numbers earlier this morning along with twenty-two new deaths related to the virus, three of which occurred over the past 24 hours.
Montreal Island was responsible for 561 of the new cases. Meanwhile, the number of hospitalizations increased by 27 since Wednesday, totalling 1,002 across the province. Among the hospitalizations, 134 are in intensive care.
The total number of cases in the province since the start of the pandemic now stands at 171,028, along with 7,635 deaths.
A list of all 21 COVID-19 vaccination sites across Quebec
Quebec is preparing to have 21 additional COVID-19 vaccination sites operational by next week
The new vaccination clinics will be in addition to the two sites that have already opened this past week at two long-term care homes in Quebec City and Montreal.
The province updated its list of sites this morning and according to health officials, vaccinations will take place during the weeks of Dec. 21, 28 and Jan. 4 and will be reserved only for priority populations.
“The sites have been determined to maximize the vaccination of priority groups,'' the Office of the Minister of Health and Social Services noted in a press release Thursday.
For now, the province expects to receive enough doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to carry it through to Jan. 10.
Here’s the list of initial vaccine sites:
Montreal:
CHSLD Saint-Henri
CHG Maimonides
CHSLD Jeanne Le Ber – IUSM
CHSLD Notre-Dame-de-la-Merci
CHSLD de l'Hôpital Sainte-Anne
Laval:
Cité-de-la-Santé Hopsital
Lanaudière:
Centre hospitalier régional de Lanaudière (Saint-Charles-Borromée)
Laurentians:
Clinique désignée de dépistage (Boisbriand)
Montérégie :
Société d'agriculture de Saint-Hyacinthe, Pavillon la COOP
Clinique de vaccination Quartier Dix30
Eastern Townships:
Centre de foires de Sherbrooke
Capitale-Nationale:
Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Québec
Centre d'hébergement Saint-Antoine
Bas-Saint-Laurent:
CHSLD de Rimouski
Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean:
CHSLD de la Colline
Mauricie:
Centre multiservices de santé et de services sociaux Cloutier
Centre-du-Québec :
Centre communautaire Drummondville-Sud
Outaouais:
CHSLD Lionel-Émond
Abitibi-Témiscamingue:
CHSLD Pie-XII
Côte-Nord:
Hôpital de Sept-Îles
Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine:
CHSLD New Carlisle
Chaudière-Appalaches:
CLSC-CHSLD Paul-Gilbert
Hôpital de Saint-Georges
DECEMBER 16TH: Legault announces 18-day lockdown
It was the announcement we’ve all been waiting for.
Premier François Legault has confirmed rumours he would be announcing more restrictions for the holiday season. He announced late this afternoon that as of Monday, the province of Quebec would go into a new lockdown to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
According to the premiere, non-essential businesses will be forced to close their doors across the province from Dec. 25 through Jan. 11.
The only businesses allowed to remain open will include grocery stores, pharmacies, garages, and pet stores.
In a surprising twist, he also said that big-box retail giants like Walmart and Costco would only be allowed to sell essential goods such as groceries and medication. Non-essential items will not be allowed to be sold during that time.
Legault also announced that as of Thursday, Dec. 17, and until Jan. 11, office workers must work from home. Meanwhile, elementary schools and high schools will be closed for an extra week during the holidays – until Jan. 11. Daycares will remain open, but the government is asking parents to keep their children at home if possible.
The only real good news to come out of his press conference is that the rules surrounding outdoor activities will be eased. Some outdoor activities, for example, such as sports will be allowed (with restrictions). Meanwhile, outdoor spaces such as the Botanical Garden will be open.
Backyard gatherings, however, are still prohibited.
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Earlier today, Quebec recorded 1,741 new cases of COVID-19, and thirty-nine new deaths were registered, seven of which happened over the past 24 hours.
The island of Montreal was responsible for 540 of the cases and 17 of the deaths.
Quebec also reported that 69 more people are being treated in hospital since Monday for COVID-19, bringing the total number to 959. Of these, 125 people are in the intensive care ward.
The seven-day average for new COVID-19 infections is now 1,791 per day.
DECEMBER 15TH: Premier Francois Legault is expected to announce new lockdown measures today…
He told our sister station 98.5 that “there are already natural measures with the time off during the holidays but we are obligated to add to them,” that with schools, construction sites, and many offices already closed it’s a good opportunity to get hospital numbers down.
It wouldn’t be a complete lockdown, the focus would most likely be on closing stores; the announcement is scheduled for 5 p.m.
DECEMBER 10TH: Montreal has broken its single-day record of new COVID-19 cases…
Montreal reported 648 cases today, the city’s highest daily number since the pandemic started bringing the total number of cases for the city to almost 56, 000.
The problem seems to be with about 30 outbreaks in long term care homes (CHSLDs) and retirement homes (RPAs), but the distribution of cases in Montreal seems to be in all age groups with the highest numbers being among youth (15-24) and people over 85.
DECEMBER 9TH: Health Canada approves Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine
It’s official, Health Canada has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for use in this country.
The announcement was made Wednesday, and according to Pfizer, the distribution of the vaccine in Canada will be prioritized “according to the populations identified in guidance from the National Advisory Committee on Immunizations (NACI).”
It’s a critical moment in Canada’s fight to stop the spread of COVID-19 as infections continue to soar across the country.
“Canadians can feel confident that the review process was rigorous and that we have strong monitoring systems in place. Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada will closely monitor the safety of the vaccine once it is on the market and will not hesitate to take action if any safety concerns are identified,” reads the statement from Health Canada.
Canada is the second country in the world to approve the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine following The United Kingdom who began vaccinating its citizens with the same vaccine on Tuesday.
“Today’s decision from Health Canada is a historic moment in our collective fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and is a major step towards returning to normalcy in Canada,” says Cole Pinnow, President, Pfizer Canada, in a statement.
“We commend Health Canada for its careful and thorough assessment of our COVID-19 vaccine and timely action to help protect Canadians.”
COVID-19 vaccines will be offered to Canadians free of charge and will not be mandatory.
More information will be available in the coming weeks.
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Legault orders police to issue more fines to COVID-19 rule breakers
Premier François Legault says he is asking police officers to hand out more fines to people who defy COVID-19 rules across the province of Quebec.
Legault made the announcement at a news conference on Wednesday, just a few hours after the province reported the second-highest COVID-19 daily increase since the pandemic began.
According to Santé Quebec, the province registered 1,728 new cases and 37 new virus-related deaths over the past twenty-four hours. Meanwhile, the number of hospitalizations now stands at 844, 121 of whom are in intensive care.
“Enough is enough,” Legault said at Wednesday’s news conference. “I want to crank (up) the number of tickets and that’s what I told police.”
Fines for anyone who breaks the rules can go as high as $6,000, he noted.
The Quebec government has now said on multiple occasions that it's not ruling out stricter rules. When asked if Quebec will go into another full lockdown, the Premier responded by saying "that's in the hands of Quebecers."
The total number of deaths due to COVID-19 in the province is now 7,349.
DECEMBER 3RD: Quebec has officially cancelled Christmas gatherings
The Quebec government has reversed its decision on holiday gatherings in red zones.
The news reverses the provincial government's decision made on November 19 to allow a maximum of two gatherings of up to 10 people between Dec. 24 and Dec. 27.
Premier Francois Legault made the announcement at a news conference earlier today alongside Health Minister Christian Dube and the province's director of public health, Dr. Horacio Arruda.
On Tuesday he said he would allow his team until December 11 to decide whether the province would allow gatherings over the holidays but with COVID-19 cases increasing, Legault opted to break the bad news early.
“It’s not realistic to think we will succeed in reducing the progress of the virus by Christmas,” Legault said during the press conference.
“I am announcing the two days foreseen for Christmas (gatherings) will be cancelled. We sincerely hoped the situation would get better, but it has not.”
Legault said that while government usually bases its decisions on the recommendations from public health officials, this time around, the decision was instead made by him and his team.
The announcement comes after the number of new daily COVID-19 cases in Quebec reached an all-time high on December 1.
The new rules, however, do not apply to all Quebecers. Legault specified citizens living in less critical zones will be allowed to gather. In yellow zones, for example, ten people can gather for Christmas while the limit is six in orange zones.
Legault has also stressed you can still visit loved ones if they live alone.
"I know that there are mounting mental health problems in people who are alone. So, if you have the chance to visit a person living alone, you have the right, one at a time, but you have the right to go," he said back in October.
The premier says he's relying on people to act responsible, but fines will be given out to those caught breaking the rules.
"Quebecers have the common sense not to put their family members at risk," Legault said. "I don't think there's anyone in Quebec who feels like having in their head for the rest of their lives that they infected someone in their family [or] one of their friends."
DECEMBER 1ST: Legault warns Quebec Christmas gatherings seem less likely
Things don’t seem to be getting better...
Earlier today, Quebec health officials reported 1,177 new COVID-19 cases in the province, bringing the total to 143,548 since the start of the pandemic. Of them, 12,264 are active.
In addition, health authorities also reported 28 more deaths related to the virus, bringing that total of fatalities to 7.084.
Of the newly added deaths, three occurred over the past day, and the rest prior to November 29.
Not only is this the 14th consecutive day of cases reaching 1,100 or higher but the number of hospitalizations continues to increase. As of this morning, there are now 719 people hospitalized due to COVID-19— the highest since mid-June.
Now, less than two weeks after the Quebec government announced it would allow Christmas gatherings, Premier François Legault warned that if the situation continues to deteriorate, Quebec will have to reverse its decision and cancel plans to allow gatherings around the holidays.
“Currently, we are not going in the right direction,” Legault said. “If the number of hospitalizations continues to rise, it will not be possible to have two gatherings” between Dec. 24 and Dec. 27.
“I want to tell the truth to Quebecers,” Legault told reporters at an afternoon press conference in Quebec City.
Legault says his government will take 10 days to make the final decision so we should have an answer by December 11.
NOVEMBER 24TH: Quebec reports 1,124 new cases, 45 deaths
Quebec health officials have reported 1,124 new COVID-19 cases and 45 additional deaths early this morning as the province closes in on 135,000 cases since the pandemic began in March.
While new cases in Quebec are on a slight decline, the number of hospitalizations continues to rise. It’s also the largest number of deaths announced in one day since June.
A total of 655 Quebecers are currently hospitalized because of the virus, 96 of whom are in intensive care.
Montreal reported the most new cases today once again with 284, followed by Quebec City (153) and the Montérégie (145).
Total coronavirus cases in the province have now reached 134,330, along with 6,887 deaths.