Quebec will not lift restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the novel coronavirus as the province reported 1,138 new cases and 28 more deaths Thursday.
Premier François Legault said that the uptick remains too high to back off on the lockdowns in areas on red alert, but that officials are always working toward finding a balance as the pandemic drags on.
“It’s a balance that’s difficult to find between life, saving lives, and the quality of lives of all Quebecers,” he told reporters.
The announcement comes after Quebec’s opposition parties demanded the government release a document from Montreal’s public health authority calling for gyms, libraries and museums to reopen.
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The document, obtained by Radio-Canada, says maintaining the partial lockdown in the city risks causing serious health issues for the population.
When contacted by Global News, a spokesperson for the city’s regional public health department said the report will not be released publicly.
Health Minister Christian Dubé said it was not a list of recommendations sent to the government but part of ongoing discussions between public health officials in Montreal and their colleagues at the provincial public health authority.
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante said Thursday she’s had discussions with the city’s public health director about moving to a “new normal” — the steps outlined in the document — and she’s open to the recommendations. However, Plante stressed that the decision is ultimately up to public health authorities.
“We need to be cautious,” she said.
Montreal is currently a designated red zone and Legault said says prudence must be maintained as cases remain high. The city reported 261 new cases Thursday.
“The battle isn’t over yet,” he said.
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Most of Quebec has been moved to the highest pandemic-alert level, under which gyms, bars and entertainment venues are closed and gatherings are banned. The restrictions are in place until at least Nov. 23 in Montreal and Quebec City.
“For now, we don’t think it’s a good idea to open restaurants, gyms and venues,” Legault said, adding the difficulty is preventing large social gatherings.
Authorities are, however, looking at possibly allowing one-on-one gatherings between Quebecers, according to Legault. Under the current rules, most private gatherings are prohibited and only those who live alone are allowed to have another person over at their home.
Quebec has the highest caseload and death toll attributable to COVID-19 in the country. As of Thursday, there are more than 111,000 cases and 6,378 people have died in the province.
Legault said Thursday the situation remains particularly difficult in Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean and the northern part of Lanaudière.
— With files from Global News’ Benson Cook and the Canadian Press