COVID-19 in Quebec: What you need to know Monday
CBC News | Posted: December 6, 2021 11:32 AM | Last Updated: December 6, 2021
No community spread of omicron in Quebec, tests show
- Quebec reported 1,189 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday and two new deaths.
- Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 455,825 confirmed cases and 11,589 people have died.
- There are 226 people in hospital (an increase of seven), including 62 in intensive care (an increase of three).
- The province has administered 13,776,224 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, including 19,746 doses in the last 24 hours.
- 86 per cent of the eligible population in the province (age five and up) has received one dose of vaccine, and 81 per cent has received two doses.
Note: Quebec's vaccination rate has been adjusted to include five- to 11-year-olds, causing the overall percentage to drop. Vaccinations for the group began last week.
Quebec's Health Ministry does not publish the number of vaccines administered on weekends and public holidays.
Quebec's public health institute says it did detailed testing of samples from almost 900 positive COVID tests on Nov. 30 and found that none of them contained the omicron variant.
That one day snapshot seems to indicate that there is no community spread of omicron in the province, the Institut national de santé publique du Québec reported Monday.
At this point, there is still only one case of the variant in Quebec: a traveller who returned from Nigeria in November. Other travellers and their contacts are being followed to see if any have contracted omicron.
Quebec families with kids in daycare get access to rapid-tests
Daycares will be distributing the kits of five tests to parents and guardians, as children under the age of five are still too young to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
A total of 1.5 million tests will be handed out, as part of efforts to reduce the number of outbreaks in daycares and CPEs.
More than half of all outbreaks in the province are now tied to daycares, preschools, and elementary schools.
NACI recommends booster dose
Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) is now strongly recommending a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for all Canadians 50 and older. The recommendation also extends to health-care workers, Indigenous people and those living in congregate care settings and all those who only received the AstraZeneca vaccine..
According to recommendations released by NACI Friday, the committee is also now recommending Canadians aged 18 to 49 get a third mRNA shot at least six months after they got their second.
The new guidance comes after some provinces moved to offer more boosters.
In Quebec, booster doses are only available to people over 70, to people with weakened immune systems and to people who had received two doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.
Decision on 3rd vaccine dose
Quebec will wait on advice from its public health director before expanding access to COVID-19 booster vaccines, Health Minister Christian Dubé said Friday.
Speaking to reporters in Quebec City, Dubé said he expected a decision on boosters from public health director Dr. Horacio Arruda this week.
"He has made some very good calls during those tough decisions,'' Dubé said, adding that Quebec's vaccination program has broken with federal guidelines in the past, including when it chose a longer interval between first and second doses than was recommended by vaccine manufacturers and Ottawa.
Hospitalizations expected to rise in coming weeks
Hospitalizations related to COVID-19 are expected to rise across the province, a government health-care research institute said Thursday.
The number of cases has nearly doubled over the past month, which could correspond to a 30 per cent increase in hospitalizations, the institute, known by its French acronym INESSS, said in a projections report released Thursday.
Those aged 70 and over represent 35 per cent of all hospitalizations in the province, though the number of cases in intensive care has remained stable.
While the increase in cases can be seen across all age groups, young people aged 12 to 17 have been hit the hardest, with cases in that age group increasing by 53 per cent.
The current projections do not account for the omicron variant. The institute said the effect of omicron will be incorporated "when reliable estimates of its transmissibility, severity and [vaccine efficacy] are known."
Top COVID-19 stories
- Ottawa nixing molecular COVID test requirement for Canadians taking short trips abroad: sources
- Quebec backs down again on mandatory vaccination in health network
- Vaccines won't be mandatory for teachers, school staff as Quebec COVID-19 situation improves
- Doctor convinced vaccine hesitant patient attendant to get her shot with patience and respect
- Take a look inside: How a Montreal hospital deals with ongoing staffing shortages
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.