Two years “to the day” after the start of the pandemic, officially declared on March 11, 2020 by the World Health Organization (WHO), Prime Minister François Legault thanks Quebecers for their “spirit of cohesion”.
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In an open letter published Friday, the CAQ leader honors the memory of thousands of Quebecers and underlines the loss for their loved ones “who continue to suffer from their absence”.
“I will remember all my life those first weeks, the daily press briefings to inform Quebecers, the long days and long nights spent wondering if we were making the right decisions,” wrote the Premier, who returns on the management of the pandemic.
Against nature
These press briefings where he told people “what to do”, François Legault remembers them as an “unnatural” moment for him, someone who is “supporter of greater autonomy for citizens”.
“But we did what was necessary to save as many lives as possible. And I remember that Quebeckers immediately understood the seriousness of the situation. I remember that, in the face of danger, the Quebec nation reacted admirably,” he continues.
On this day of commemoration, he affirms that Quebecers have “succeeded in rapidly strengthening our health system by training more personnel”, “in keeping our schools open to minimize the effects on our children” and in setting up “the one of the most effective vaccination campaigns on the planet”.
“The virus has attacked the most vulnerable people, especially our seniors who built Quebec. We managed to save thousands of lives together, but we also lost too many mothers, fathers, grandmothers, grandfathers. We lost brothers, sisters, friends,” writes François Legault.
“More sober” ceremony
The important ceremony held on Parliament Hill in Quebec last year, however, will not take place on Friday.
The government has chosen a ceremony “more sober, out of respect for the families and loved ones of the victims and for all Quebecers who have again been hard hit by the pandemic”, indicated the press secretary of François. Legault, Ewan Sauves.
However, the national flag will be flown at half-mast on the Parliament tower, on government buildings, on Québec offices in Canada and on the offices of delegations abroad.
A way of doing after all “unusual, since it represents collective mourning”, adds Ewan Sauves. “This year, we would like to invite Quebecers to dedicate this day to the duty of remembrance which is essential from now on. This duty of memory, we owe it to the victims and their loved ones, but also for the collective ordeal that we have gone through as a nation, ”he adds.
See also
Reference-www.journaldequebec.com