COVID-19 in Quebec: What you need to know on Friday
Bars, spas, water parks can now reopen, and Quebec to resume releasing daily data
- Quebec has 55,079 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 5,448 people have died, an increase of 142 new cases and seven deaths. The government says one of the newly reported deaths occurred prior to June 17.
- There are 487 people in hospital, including 50 in intensive care. Here's a guide to the numbers.
- Quebec will resume releasing daily data on COVID-19, starting Monday.
- CBC Montreal is collecting stories from Quebecers who have recovered from COVID-19. If you would like to share your experience, please get in touch here.
- How risky is returning to routine in Montreal right now? Here's what an expert has to say.
- Having trouble keeping track of what has reopened? Consult our list.
Quebec's new health minister, Christian Dubé, said Friday the province will resume releasing daily data on COVID-19, beginning Monday, after a public outcry over plans to begin releasing data once a week.
"We are listening," said Dubé, two days after the province announced it would be publishing data only weekly.
The move from daily to weekly updates would have meant Quebec would be providing data less frequently than any other Canadian province, despite leading the country in the number of cases and the number of fatalities.
Nearly all sectors of Quebec's economy reopen
Effective immediately, bars, spas, water parks and casinos — nearly every kind of business in Quebec — can reopen, on the condition that people adhere to sanitary regulations to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Dr. Horacio Arruda, the province's public health director, urged Quebecers to get used to physical distancing, wearing a mask and washing hands.
There are three exceptions to the province's reopening: there will still be no festivals or other large gatherings this summer, no sleepaway camps, and sports that involve close-contact fighting will not be allowed to resume.
Canadian military leaves Quebec long-term care homes today
Canadian Armed Forces members ended their deployment in Quebec's long-term care homes (CHSLDs) Friday, as the Red Cross prepares to take over July 6.
The Red Cross will send about 900 people to help out in CHSLDs by the end of July, said Public Safety Minister Bill Blair Friday.
At the height of the crisis, about 14,000 soldiers had been deployed to 25 of the province's long-term care homes, as they dealt with outbreaks and staffing shortages.
- More: As Canadian military leaves Quebec long-term care homes, Red Cross trains volunteers to fill in
New Brunswick, P.E.I. travel restrictions dangerous for Quebecers, MNA says
Quebec MNA Joël Arseneau has renewed warnings that the travel restrictions imposed by New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island on Quebecers driving to the Magdalen Islands endanger motorists, after a family en route to the islands struck a moose last weekend.
Quebecers heading to their secondary homes on the Magdalen Islands are already able to drive through the Maritimes to catch the ferry from P.E.I., and anyone visiting the archipelago as tourists will be allowed to do the same as of June 26, but no one is allowed to stop to eat at a restaurant or to sleep.
The provinces have implemented travel restrictions to protect residents from the spread of COVID-19.
