Quebec reported more than 586 new coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours which marks the biggest one-day jump in four months.
The province has tightened rules for bars, restaurants, gatherings, inter-regional travel after police handed out 90 tickets when visiting 2,200 bars and restaurants over the weekend. The visits were concentrated in regions with high case counts, including Montreal and Quebec City.
The plan had originally been to visit just over 1,000 in what was dubbed Operation OSCAR, a French acronym that translates to “systematic operation against risky behaviour.”
Horacio Arruda, Quebec’s director of public health, said he’s “very, very, very” concerned about the rise in cases in Quebec.
“We are in the second wave,” Arruda said. “The situation is serious. The virus is everywhere in Quebec.”
Santé Quebec says that one more person has died due to coronavirus, bringing the province’s cumulative death toll to 5,804.
There are currently 68,128 cases in the province, 148 hospitalizations, and 30 patients in intensive care.
In addition to this news, according to Education Minister Jean-François Roberge, an elementary school in Quebec City has closed due to a COVID-19 outbreak. Several staff and students tested positive at the Sans-Frontière elementary after a massive screening. In total, 20 students and five staff members were found to be infected with the virus.
There are now 272 Quebec schools that have reported at least one confirmed case of COVID-19 since the start of the school year, according to the latest government data.
As per our report this morning, three regions have moved from the yellow zone to the orange zone. Montreal, the Capitale-Nationale, and Chaudière-Appalaches are now at the moderate alert level and are subject to stricter rules. Indoor gatherings have also increased from 250 to 50 people for the entire province, with a few exceptions.
