Quebec is reporting its first case of a variant of COVID-19 that was first detected in the United Kingdom earlier this month as officials sound the alarm over a rising number of infections, deaths and hospitalizations in the province.
In a statement issued Tuesday, the province’s Health Ministry said the person was “in contact with a member of their family who returned to Quebec on Dec. 11, after a stay in the United Kingdom, and who tested positive for COVID-19 on Dec. 13.”
“The epidemiological investigation showed that the person who traveled had only prolonged contact with the three members of their family, all of whom tested positive for COVID-19 and who are in isolation at their home. One of these individuals has been identified with variant S.”
Public health authorities carried out investigations in Montreal and the Eastern Townships. They are following the situation “very closely,” according to the ministry.
Health Minister Christian Dubé says the first identified case of this new coronavirus variant in the province does not mean there are any changes to quarantine measures.
The move comes after Canada’s first confirmed case of the variant was reported in Ontario over the weekend.
While the new variant was first detected in the United Kingdom, it has since spread to Australia, Japan and several European countries.
Canada’s public health agency says while early data suggests the new variant may be more transmissible, there is no evidence the variant causes more severe symptoms of COVID-19 or impacts vaccine effectiveness.
Quebec demands stricter measures at airport
Quebec’s health minister is calling on the federal government to take stronger action to ensure returning international travellers respect quarantine rules.
Dubé is asking Ottawa to require that returning travellers be tested before getting on a plane home, and for officials to administer more rapid COVID-19 tests in Canadian airports. He says he was shocked and worried by reports of Quebecers partying in southern destinations.
He says Ottawa has agreed to implement the changes beginning in January, but he wants the federal government to move more quickly.
“The federal government tells us about the implementation of these measures in early January,” he said. “For us, this is not fast enough.”
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante also voiced similar concerns Tuesday and called for stricter measures on international travel, saying she was worried about the number of rising cases in the city.
She also pleaded for Montrealers to avoid leaving Canada as the pandemic surges.
“I reiterate that it is strongly advised not to travel outside the country, it is not the right thing to do at this time,” she wrote on Twitter. “Let’s avoid a scenario like last spring.”
The demand comes as the province recorded 2,381 new cases and 64 additional deaths linked to the second wave of the pandemic Tuesday.
Hospitalizations rose by seven to 1,131. Of those patients, 148 are in intensive care — a decrease of two from the previous day.
At a news conference, Dubé called on the public to continue respecting public health measures and do their part in the coming months to stem the tide of COVID-19.
“The situation is very worrying,” he said.
“We’re not going in the right direction.”
When asked if the province has plans to extend its holiday lockdown, which includes the shutdown of non-essential stores, past Jan. 11, 2021, Dubé said it’s “too soon” to know if there will be more measures.
“For the time being, there are no new restrictions,” he said.
The province, which has been a hotspot for the virus, has seen 197,311 cases to date. The health crisis has led to the deaths of 8,124 Quebecers since March.
Quebec carried out 23,444 tests on Sunday, the latest day for which that information is available. There have been more than 4.8 million tests to date.
The province gave 2,857 doses of the vaccine on Monday, bringing the total number of vaccinations to 22,500.
Dubé said the vaccination campaign is going “smoothly,” but that Quebec was rapidly running out of doses. The province has received 55,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine thus far, but he said the manufacturer requires half that amount be held back in order to give booster shots 21 days after the first one is administered.
READ MORE: Will the new U.K. coronavirus variant be found in Quebec?
Dubé said the province, like other jurisdictions, was evaluating the possibility of using all the doses as it receives them, without holding any back, as a way of protecting as many people as possible and “forcing the hand” of Pfizer to maintain supply. He said, however, such a decision would not be made without the manufacturer’s agreement.
Dr. Horacio Arruda, Quebec’s director of public health, said health experts believe the vaccine will remain as effective if the booster shot is delivered beyond the standard 21-day period. But he wants to be certain before making changes to the vaccination schedule.
— With files from Global News’ Saba Aziz and The Canadian Press