COVID-19 in Quebec: What you need to know Monday
CBC News | Posted: November 15, 2021 11:20 AM | Last Updated: November 15, 2021
High school students can ditch masks in classrooms, dancing and karaoke in bars resume
- Quebec reported 509 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday and one new death.
- Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 434,849 confirmed cases and 11,546 people have died.
- There are 202 people in hospital (an increase of 13), including 42 in intensive care (no change).
- As of Monday, the province has administered 13,406,962 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, including 4,483 in the last 24 hours.
- 91 per cent of the eligible population in the province (age 12 and up) has received one dose of vaccine, and 87 per cent has received two doses.
Note: Quebec's Health Ministry does not publish the number of vaccines administered on weekends and public holidays.
Quebec is relaxing public health restrictions for high schools, restaurants, bars and fitness centres. This as COVID-19 cases in the province rise but hospitalizations decrease.
Starting today, high school students are no longer obliged to wear a mask in classrooms.
However, students must wear wear masks in common areas and when moving around school grounds. Elementary students will still need to wear masks at all times, including while seated.
Singing and dancing are also making a return to Quebec bars.
Patrons can now sing at venues so long as they wear a mask and remain two metres away from other people while singing. Venues will no longer need to keep a registry of clients.
Indoor recreational sports no longer have a cap on the number of participants.
Indoor recreational sports no longer have a cap on the number of participants.
Gyms and fitness centres will no longer need to enforce a two-metre distance between patrons.
Back to the office
The city of Montreal has a plan for its employees to return to work, in person.
The mayor's office and its executive committee announced Friday that city workers who are still working from home full time will start to return to in-person work in a hybrid model as of Nov. 29.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, a quarter of the city's 28,000 employees have continued to work from home.
The plan to return to the office was prompted by the lifting of health restrictions — particularly easing of the minimum distance between people indoors being reduced to one metre.
The pandemic has hit the city centre hard. The office vacancy rate rose from 11.5 per cent to 14.2 per cent in one year, according to a study released in October.
The city of Montreal hopes that the transition to the hybrid model will allow a return to a new normal downtown.
Third vaccine doses for seniors
The Quebec government will allow people aged 70 and over to book an appointment for their third COVID-19 vaccine dose as of tomorrow, Nov. 16.
The province's immunization committee, the CIQ, has recommended that Quebecers in that age group be offered a third dose, in order to boost their immunity against the virus.
The appointments will roll out gradually. Six months must have passed since the person's last COVID-19 vaccine dose in order for them to be eligible.
People who have had two doses of AstraZeneca will also soon be eligible to make an appointment for a third dose, this time of an mRNA vaccine, Health Minister Christian Dubé said at a news conference Tuesday.
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- Take a look inside: How a Montreal hospital deals with ongoing staffing shortages
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- Quebec postpones vaccination mandate for health-care workers to Nov. 15
- These Quebec nurses are willing to sacrifice their careers to avoid getting COVID-19 shots
What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
- Fever.
- New or worsening cough.
- Difficulty breathing.
- Sudden loss of smell without a stuffy nose.
- Gastrointestinal issues (such as nausea, diarrhea, vomiting).
- Sore throat
- Generalized muscle pain.
- Headache.
- Fatigue.
- Loss of appetite.
If you think you may have COVID-19, the government asks that you call 1‑877‑644‑4545 to schedule an appointment at a screening clinic.
To reserve an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine, you can go on the online portal quebec.ca/covidvaccine. You can also call 1-877-644-4545.