Montreal Gazette ePaper

Dubé guarded about easing restrictions for Christmas

Health minister urges caution as province records rise in COVID-19 cases

PHILIP AUTHIER pauthier@postmedia.com twitter.com/philipauthier

Health Minister Christian Dubé is sounding much less optimistic than Premier François Legault that an easing of COVID-19 restrictions will be possible in time for holiday gatherings.

Revealing Quebec recorded 1,196 new cases on Wednesday — the highest number in more than seven months — and that there has been a net increase in hospitalizations, Dubé said things are still under control but there are red flags on the field.

He said Quebecers will need to keep up their guard if they are to have a pleasant holiday season with more family gatherings than in 2020.

“Twelve-hundred cases ... I don't like that because it's a major increase,” Dubé told reporters. “We have to be careful, and I am not just referring to the new variant. We need to follow the health measures, too.

“I want us to get to Christmas with the lowest possible number of cases. The number of hospitalizations has gone up by 10 per day over the last three days. So we need to remain cautious for the next weeks.”

There are 650,000 Quebecers who refuse to be vaccinated despite the arrival of a new variant, Dubé added, and Quebec has not finished vaccinating five- to 11-year-olds or giving booster shots to all seniors.

Dubé said Quebec expected the number of new daily cases to rise to 1,200.

“So there's no panic, but we need to be really vigilant over the next few weeks,” he said.

Dubé's caution contrasted with Legault, who this week said he hoped some restrictions could be eased in time for Christmas.

He specifically mentioned the limit of 10 people per household gathering.

He said he would like to see the limit increased to 20 or 25 if possible, but would follow the guidance of public health.

Dubé would not say whether he thinks Legault spoke too soon.

“The premier is thinking of Christmas, he is thinking `en Québécois,' like everyone, me included,” Dubé said. “We can't wait but, at this moment, we don't want to go too far, too fast.

“Along with Dr. Arruda, I also wanted to remind people of the current measures, which people sometimes forget. At this time, private parties have a 10-person maximum.”

He insisted he and Horacio Arruda, the director of public health, are not under any political pressure to lift restrictions.

“No pressure,” Dubé said. “I have enough pressure from my wife to organize a Christmas party that I don't need more pressure.”

On Wednesday, Quebec reported 239 people in hospital with COVID-19, 12 more than the day before. Of those, 52 are in intensive care, an increase of one.

There were two more deaths, bringing Quebec's total to 11,581 since the start of the pandemic. Thus far, only one case of the new Omicron variant has been identified in Quebec.

Later in the evening, during a tour of a children's vaccination centre in Lévis, Legault repeated that he still hopes for an easing of restrictions. While he conceded the number of new cases has climbed, he highlighted the fact the number of hospitalizations is stable at 239.

He said that is the number that matters and it gives him hope his Christmas wish will come true.

“It's really under control,” Legault told reporters. “If it stays at this level we'll be able to have a nice Christmas and New Year,” Legault said. “We hope. We would like it.”

He noted the cases that are on the rise are in the 5-11 age group and those children are being rapidly vaccinated so the cases will drop.

“Everything is relative,” Legault added. “The number we have to follow is the number of hospitalizations, and that is stable. In the past we saw 1,000 and 2,000 hospitalizations. Yes, it's an increase of 10 per day for three days, but at the same time it is not an increase of 100 and it is not thousands hospitalized.

“Now we have to be careful.”

We have to be careful, and I am not just referring to the new variant. We need to follow the health measures, too.

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2021-12-02T08:00:00.0000000Z

2021-12-02T08:00:00.0000000Z

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