COVID-19 in Quebec: What you need to know on Friday
Quebec public health director says some data shows a decline in vigilance
- Quebec has 55,682 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 5,560 people have died, an increase of 89 cases and 19 deaths. The government says 12 of those newly reported deaths took place before June 25.
- There are 392 people in hospital, including 31 in intensive care. Here's a guide to the numbers.
- Masks are now mandatory in Côte Saint-Luc's indoor public spaces
- 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.
- Having trouble keeping track of what has reopened? Consult our list.
The COVID-19 situation in Quebec remains under control, but there is concern that some in the population are growing too relaxed, the province's public health director said Friday.
Dr. Horacio Arruda said that with summer weather and a decline in new cases, "we have the impression that there's a certain loosening in the population about distancing and wearing masks."
In some recently confirmed new cases, the number of people with whom the infected person had been in close contact has been higher than in the past, Arruda said, suggesting a decline in vigilance. And new cases, though still much lower than at their peak, are skewing younger.
"These are situations that do concern us," he said.
Arruda said great effort is going into preparing for a second wave. Among changes being made is a testing strategy to target asymptomatic carriers, he said, with a focus on more vulnerable sectors. Workers in Quebec's long-term care homes will be tested every week, for example, he said.
Outbreak at Saint-Jérôme hospital
Public health officials have have banned most visitors from entering the Saint-Jérôme regional hospital for an indefinite period due to a COVID-19 outbreak.
The decision to keep all but a handful of visitors out was made for the "health and safety of the most vulnerable people," according to a statement issued Friday by the regional health authority, CISSS des Laurentides.
Pandemic means dire need for social housing, community group says
Social housing group Front d'action populaire en réaménagement urbain (FRAPRU) says it is alarmed by the shortage of rental housing this year, and say the situation is worsened by the pandemic.
Hundreds of families in the province did not have a lease after July 1 and are either staying with friends or family or using emergency aid.
With evictions allowed to resume this month, the group says more tenants could be left out on the streets.
Impact of Air Canada suspending regional travel
Elected officials across Quebec are denouncing Air Canada's decision to indefinitely suspend several regional travel routes in the province.
Four of the eight shuttered regional airport stations, and eight of the 30 cancelled routes, are in Quebec. Two other scrapped routes link Quebec to maritime provinces.
Without the flights, people in several parts of the province — including the Lower St. Lawrence, the North Shore, Gaspé and Abitibi-Témiscamingue — are effectively cut off from major city centres.
Air Canada blames COVID-19's impact on travel for the cuts, stating the demand for both business and leisure travel has plummeted.
