Hospitalizations continue to drop as Quebecers take winter break

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Hospitalizations for COVID-19 continued to drop on the weekend as elementary and high school students across Quebec began their March break.

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The number of patients being treated in hospital with the virus declined by 23 to 1,456 on Sunday, to decrease of about 300 in the last week. The total number of deaths increased by 19 over the weekend, to reach 13,974 since the pandemic began. The first case of COVID-19 in Quebec was confirmed exactly two years ago on Feb. 28, 2020.

The reduction in hospitalizations comes as bars reopen Monday and as Quebec gets ready to end the state of emergency it first declared in March 2020.

Most of the province’s remaining health restrictions will be lifted on March 14, when restaurants, bars and venues will be allowed to open at 100-per-cent capacity and vaccine passports will no longer be required, except for international travel.

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“We’re taking a calculated risk to learn how to live with the virus, and the best way to live with the virus is to get your three doses of vaccine,” Premier François Legault said Feb. 8.

When the Quebec National Assembly resumes March 15 after a two-week break, it is expected to table a new bill ending the state of emergency but allowing certain emergency measures to stay in force in the event of a sixth wave.

On Friday, Canada’s chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, said she hoped Canada was past the pandemic crisis and transitioning to recovery.

But she added provincial governments should be ready to resume public health measures if another serious variant emerges.

However, the goal should be to use “less heavy” measures such as mask mandates, she said.

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The number of patients in intensive care in Quebec dipped below 100 to 98 on Sunday — two fewer than the day before.

At the peak of the Omicron wave in mid-January, more than 3,400 COVID-positive patients were hospitalized in Quebec.

When students go back to school on March 7, they will no longer have to wear masks at their desks, though they will still be mandatory in hallways, common areas and on school buses.

However, some health experts have warned Quebec is being too hasty in lifting the mask requirement, warning that some children could become infected during the break and spread the disease when they go back to school.

They advise families to opt for outdoor activities, wear masks in indoor public spaces and have rapid tests on hand in case a family member develops symptoms.

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