‘We are at war with the virus’: Quebec strengthens COVID-19 restrictions

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Faced with an alarming rise in COVID-19 cases and a growing number of hospitalizations, the Quebec government on Monday announced a series of new measures that it hopes could slow transmission during the holiday period.

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Among them, the closure of all bars, casinos, theaters, gyms and spas was ordered and a work-from-home order is in force throughout the province. All elementary and middle schools will close starting Tuesday and the return to in-person learning is scheduled for January 10.

During a press conference, Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé said the province will study new projections Monday night and that further action could be taken if necessary.

When asked about the 10-person limit on holiday gatherings, which was lowered from 20 last week, Dubé said there are no changes off the table as Quebec struggles to control the spread of the Omicron variant.

“We understand that people who are twice vaccinated want to see their loved ones, but what we are saying today is that this group is as small as possible,” said Dubé.

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“We are 8 million Quebecers and we are at war with the virus,” he added. “If each person goes from 10 contacts to five contacts, we have eliminated 40 million contacts. That’s what the virus feeds on. “

The new measures come at a time when Quebec is faced with an unprecedented number of cases, testing and vaccination sites that are already at full capacity and a fragile health network.

The province reported a record 4,571 new cases on Monday and a net increase of 21 hospitalizations, bringing the total number of people hospitalized with the disease to 397. Right now, the health network has approximately 800 beds reserved for COVID- 19.

“With the increase in cases and hospitalizations, the situation is critical,” Dubé said Monday.

“I know it is difficult, but this is not the time to be discouraged, it is the time to be strong. I ask everyone to get back into the effort; it can make a difference. “

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Given the rapid increase in cases, the government said that in certain areas of the province, including Montreal, it no longer has the ability to perform contact tracing for each new infection.

Rather, it is asking those who receive a positive test to contact anyone they have come in contact with and let them know that they need to isolate themselves.

The increase has also overwhelmed Quebec testing sites, and the province is now asking people to only get tested if they have symptoms. Dubé insisted that people should not use the centers to confirm that they are not infected before the meetings.

This story will be updated.

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