COVID-19 in Quebec: What you need to know Monday
- On Friday, Quebec reported 1,048 people in hospital (a decrease of 14 from the previous day), including 59 in intensive care (an increase of two from the previous day).
- The province reported 2,203 new cases of COVID-19 and 12 deaths.
- Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 953,498 confirmed cases, and 14,300 people have died.
- The province also reported a total of 18,592,149 doses of COVID-19 vaccines administered, including 8,064 doses in the last 24 hours.
- 91 per cent of the eligible population in the province (aged five and up) have received one dose of the vaccine; 87 per cent have received two doses, and 53 per cent have received three doses.
*The new cases are those reported to the Quebec government only. They are believed to be an underrepresentation of the virus’s spread, given the limited availability of PCR tests and use of home testing kits.
*Quebec’s Health Ministry announced it will no longer report its COVID-19 numbers on the weekend.
The province’s public health director held a rare Sunday news conference, where he urged Quebecers to exercise more caution in the face of a potential sixth wave of COVID-19.
Dr. Luc Boileau came short of confirming another pandemic wave of infections, but said the spike in cases in recent weeks driven by the Omicron subvariant BA.2 suggests one is imminent.
He said the BA.2 variant could soon be responsible for at least two thirds of COVID-19 cases in Quebec.
Despite several regions having seen a surge in cases, including Montreal, Quebec has no plans to reintroduce public health restrictions from previous waves, Boileau said.
The province is still planning to all but eliminate mandatory masking by mid-April.
Quebec sending mixed signals, health experts say
Simon Bacon, a professor in behavioural medicine at Concordia University, said the government is sending mixed signals.
“I think it’s the contradiction that people pick up on,” he said. “So we’re removing restrictions, we’re about to hit a sixth wave. So what that tells most people is that cases will go up, but that’s not really important.”
Benoit Barbeau, a virologist at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), says Quebec will experience a similar situation to countries such as France and the United Kingdom, where cases have risen sharply, exacerbated by the highly contagious Omicron subvariant, known as BA.2.
“We see what’s happening in Europe,” said Barbeau, in an interview with Radio-Canada. “We are going to live through this too.
Barbeau said it remains to be seen how intense the rise in cases will be, but said Quebecers should not automatically expect that each successive wave will be weaker than the last.
“That’s not necessarily the trajectory that the virus will take. We could perhaps have another variant that is more dangerous,” he said.
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What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
- Fever.
- New or worsening cough.
- Difficulty breathing.
- Sudden loss of smell without a stuffy nose.
- Gastrointestinal issues (such as nausea, diarrhea, vomiting).
- Sore throat
- Generalized muscle pain.
- Headache.
- Fatigue.
- Loss of appetite.
If you think you may have COVID-19, the government asks that you call 1‑877‑644‑4545 to schedule an appointment at a screening clinic.
To reserve an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine, you can go on the online portal quebec.ca/covidvaccine. You can also call 1-877-644-4545.
You can find information on COVID-19 in the province here and information on the situation in Montreal here.
