Key to easing Quebec's public health measures lies in getting 65+ vaccinated, Legault says

Once the majority of Quebecers 65 and up are vaccinated, it will be a whole new ballgame, says Premier François Legault.

He is asking the population — people who want to play sports, people who have relatives who have been vaccinated already, people who are tired of the curfew, and everyone in between — to hang tight until then.

"I think it's important that people see the light at the end of the tunnel. We know that we have some weeks that will be difficult in front of us," Legault said.

"I'm asking people to continue to follow measures…. Please, wait for the next few weeks until all the people of 65 years old can be vaccinated, and then we can hope to have good recommendations that we can [ease] the measures."

Depending on the region, right now people either 70 and up or 75 and up can be vaccinated in Quebec.

The premier acknowledged that neither Public Health Director Dr. Horacio Arruda nor Health Minister Christian Dubé wants to put a timeframe on it, but Legault thinks it may take about a month to vaccinate people 65 and older.

At that point, he said, there may be good news, particularly for people in Montreal. The city and its surrounding areas — Laval, Montérégie, Lanaudière and the Laurentians —  are the province's last red zones, subject to tighter restrictions, including an 8 p.m. curfew.

On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control released a list of dos and don'ts for people who are fully vaccinated, which prompted questions about what the future may hold in this province.

Arruda said it is too early to definitively say when gatherings will be allowed again or what the criteria would be to do so.

He did say public health officials are "very aware" of the effect those kinds of guidelines — and gatherings — have on staving off isolation, and as soon as the epidemiological situation permits it, they will start allowing two families to get together, for example.

Plan to resume team sports coming Friday

Legault said Isabelle Charest, the minister responsible for sports, will give more information on the province's plan to gradually resume sports on Friday.

Over the weekend, hundreds attended a protest in Quebec City calling on the government to allow team sports to resume.

Starting March 15, extra-curricular activities and sports in schools will be allowed across the province, but team sports outside of school are still forbidden. 

Legault, a self-described sports fan, asked for patience, saying sports will come back as soon as it's safe.