COVID live updates: Quebec to lift mask mandate on May 14, reports say


Province initially planned to dump mandatory mask rules in mid-April but delayed the change due to a rise in hospitalizations.

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Updated throughout the day on Thursday, April 28. Questions/comments: [email protected]

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top updates

  • Mastercard sees spending soar as COVID restrictions ease
  • Quebec to lift mask mandate on May 14, reports say
  • COVID-19 reinfections are rising — here’s why
  • Moderna to open factory in Montreal: reports
  • You’re (un)invited: ‘Unwelcoming Party’ planned in response to ‘Rolling Thunder’ rally
  • Quebec COVID guide: Vaccinations, testing
  • Sign up for our free nightly coronavirus newsletter

10:10 a.m.

Type: Changes coming to PEI entry rules

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10 a.m.

Mastercard sees spending soar as COVID restrictions ease

From the Bloomberg news agency:

Mastercard says spending on its cards soared in the first quarter as consumers clamored to get back on the road and take to the skies.

Even as the omicron variant roared in the early days of the year, overall spending on the company’s cards jumped 22 per cent to US$1.52 trillion, in line with the average of analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Overseas spending climbed 53 per cent.

“As of March, cross-border travel is above 2019 levels for the first time since the pandemic began, and ahead of our expectations,” Chief Executive Officer Michael Miebach said in a statement Thursday. “We’re off to a strong start in 2022.”

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Governments around the world have been lifting travel restrictions, prompting consumers to get back to flying and dining out, a boon for Mastercard and its rivals. Visa Inc. shares emerged after the company said Tuesday that purchase volumes climbed 17 per cent in its fiscal second quarter, which ended March 31.


9:50 a.m.

Quebec to lift mask mandate on May 14, reports say

Quebec will lift the mask mandate for public places on May 14, Radio-Canada and TVA Nouvelles are reporting.

Dr. Luc Boileau, Quebec’s interim director of public health, is scheduled to hold a press conference at 2 pm I’ll have live coverage and a video feed.

Quebec initially planned to dump mandatory mask rules in mid-April but delayed the change due to a rise in hospitalizations and the arrival of an unexpectedly late flu season.

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The sixth wave appears to be waning in Quebec.

In a sign that the worst of the sixth wave is over, a provincial government health-care research institute yesterday said it expects the rise in hospitalizations will slow down over the next two weeks.

Quebec is one of the last jurisdictions in North America to require masks in all indoor public places.

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9:45 a.m.

COVID-19 reinfections are rising — here’s why

A growing number of COVID-19 reinfections have been reported in Quebec during the fifth and sixth waves, leading many to wonder — what is going on with our immunity?

Read our full story, by Katelyn Thomas.


9:45 a.m.

Moderna to open factory in Montreal: reports

Pharmaceutical company Moderna will reportedly build a new biomanufacturing plant in the Montreal area, with an announcement set for tomorrow.

Read our full story.


9:45 a.m.

You’re (un)invited: ‘Unwelcoming Party’ planned in response to ‘Rolling Thunder’ rally

Still reeling from the weeks-long “Freedom Convoy” occupation that brought the city’s downtown core to a standstill earlier this year, anxious Ottawa residents say they want participants of this coming weekend’s biker rally to know they are not welcome.

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Read our full story.


9:15 a.m.

Quebec COVID guide: Vaccinations, testing

vaccinations

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8:30 a.m.

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