As he does every day, the Premier of Quebec, François Legault, reports on the most recent assessment of the COVID-19 pandemic in the province. He is once again accompanied by the Minister of Health and Social Services, Danielle McCann, and the National Director of Public Health, Horacio Arruda. As of today there have been 97 more deaths bringing the total to 1340 in Quebec. There are 22,616 confirmed cases of COVID-19. 1,460 people are in the hospital, including 227 who are in intensive care.
Faced with a glaring lack of personnel in the health network - and particularly in CHSLD, where coronavirus outbreaks have multiplied – Legault reiterated his call for help on Thursday. As an incentive, the 4% and 8% bonuses granted to front-line staff will be extended from April 30 to May 31.
In the beginning, we asked people who signed up for "Je contribue!" to be qualified and to accept to work full time to help in CHSLDs. The Legault government has decided to change things. Even people who are not qualified, but who are available to work full time, are asked to register on "Je contribue!" These people will be paid.
For many people’s concerns Legault clarified, nothing is going to open next week.
François Legault recognizes that there will be risks associated with deconfinement, but he underlines that there are also risks for mental health with prolonged confinement. Social distancing must be kept and masks will be recommended. "We need Quebec to be reborn," said Premier of Quebec, François Legault
On the decontainment plan, Dr Horacio Arruda explains that one cannot "tolerate" confinement for too long. But he adds that if the virus comes back in force, the measures will tighten again.