- On Friday, Quebec reported 2,410 people hospitalized (an increase of five from the previous day), including 88 iintensive care (same as the day before).
- The province reported 2,499 new cases of COVID-19 and 34 deaths.
- Since the start of the pandemic there have been 1,028,844 confirmed cases, and 14,812 people have died.
- The province also reported 10,833 health workers absent for COVID-related reasons.
- 91% of the province’s eligible population (five years and older) have received a dose of the vaccine; 87 percent have received two doses and 54 percent have received three doses..
*New cases are those reported to the Quebec government only. They are believed to be an underrepresentation of the spread of the virus, given the limited availability of PCR tests and the use of home test kits.
*The Quebec Ministry of Health no longer reports COVID-19 numbers over the weekend.
The federal government is relaxing some measures for international travelers, but is maintaining face mask requirements on planes and vaccination requirements for domestic travel.
In a press release on Friday, the government announced that public health measures will be relaxed for select eligible travelers beginning Monday, April 25.
Fully vaccinated travelers will no longer be required to provide a quarantine plan upon entry, and unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children ages five to 11 who are accompanied by a fully vaccinated parent or guardian will no longer be required to undergo a COVID-19 test to enter Canada.
But Canada’s Transport Minister Omar Alghabra reminded air and rail passengers that they “are still required to wear a mask for the entire journey.”
The decision to uphold mask wearing comes after a federal judge in Florida on Monday struck down a nationwide mask mandate on airplanes and public transportation in the US.
Quebec extends mask requirements
Quebec is extending the mask mandate, due to be lifted in late April, through mid-May, even as the sixth wave of COVID-19 infections appears to be reaching its peak.
Quebec’s acting director of public health, Dr. Luc Boileau, provided an update on the COVID-19 situation in the province on Thursday. Boileau called the latest pandemic projections “relatively good news.”
“It is encouraging to see that the number of hospitalizations should start to level off and we are anticipating a reduction in new hospital admissions,” Boileau said.
However, he urged Quebecers to be cautious given how contagious the variants now in circulation are.
Boileau said keeping that mandate in place for an additional two weeks should help prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed by another resurgence of infections.
Meanwhile, Uber Canada will continue to require masks for drivers and passengers in Quebec, despite waiving the requirements in the rest of the country, effective Friday.
New data suggests 40% of BC may have contracted COVID
New estimates suggest close to 40 percent of people in BC have contracted COVID-19, following the Omicron wave, up from just 10 percent in October.
Researchers in BC analyzed thousands of blood samples in the Lower Mainland during the pandemic to track antibody levels in the general population and found a massive change in the level of infection in recent months.
The data, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, was shared with CBC News. It found that the rate of infection is even higher in children under the age of 10, with nearly two-thirds now showing evidence of previous infection.
The research is in line with findings from Ontario, where official estimates now show as much as 40 percent of the population was infected. with COVID-19 since December.
Acting public health director Dr. Luc Boileau said in February that at least 2 million Quebecers had been infected with the Omicron variant and that half the province may have contracted COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.
A study by the Montreal-based CIRANO research center suggested that there were between 18,000 and 32,000 new COVID-19 infections per day, during the last week of March in Quebec.
Top COVID-19 Stories
What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
- Fever.
- New or worsening cough.
- labored breathing
- Sudden loss of smell without nasal congestion.
- Gastrointestinal problems (such as nausea, diarrhea, vomiting).
- Throat pain
- Widespread 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 make an appointment at a screening clinic.
To book an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine, you can go to the online portal quebec.ca/covidvaccine. You can also call 1-877-644-4545.
You can find information about COVID-19 in the province here and information on the situation in Montreal here.
Reference-www.cbc.ca