Quebec COVID-19 hospitalizations could rise over next 2 weeks: public health director
CBC
The situation in Quebec remains "fragile" as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations rise and 13,000 health-care workers are absent, but officials do not intend to bring in new restrictions ahead of the Easter long weekend, interim public health director Dr. Luc Boileau said Friday.
Still, Boileau urged "vigilance" as many Quebecers prepare to meet with family, including elderly parents and grandparents.
"If we have symptoms, we don't go. If we had symptoms and it hasn't been 10 days, we don't go," Boileau said, speaking at a virtual news conference.
He also urged people to reduce their contacts in the days before planned visits with vulnerable family members, to avoid picking up and passing on the virus.
Boileau said there are currently 1,600 people with COVID-19 in hospital, and projections suggest that number could continue to rise over the next two weeks.
However, officials do not expect the number of people in hospital with COVID to reach the peak of 3,140 reached in January.
While the sixth wave was initially driven by cases in eastern Quebec, the situation in the Gaspé, on the Magdalen Islands and on the North Shore has stabilized.
However, cases in the Lower Saint Lawrence, Saguenay–Lac-St-Jean, Chaudière- Appalaches, Quebec City and Mauricie–Centre-du-Québec regions are all rising, while Montreal, the Eastern Townships and the Outaouais region are all "more affected" than they were two weeks ago.
Despite this, Boileau said there is no intention of bringing in new measures or extending the mask mandate for public spaces beyond the end of April, at least for now.
"It's the contagion that will decide," he said.
Boileau said new data suggests that swabbing both cheeks and the back of the throat, before swabbing both nostrils, could yield more accurate rapid test results.
He said detailed instructions on the testing procedure will be available shortly on the Quebec government's website, with an instructional video to follow.
Dr. Yves Longtin, a microbiologist with the Health Ministry, urged people to stay isolated if they have symptoms, even if their first rapid test comes back negative.
"The virus attains its peak on about day three or four," he said. "If people do only one test, too early, and don't repeat it, it can give a false negative result."
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