Quebec’s health minister is urging caution but says the situation is “under control” for now as the province is in a seventh wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Christian Dubé provided an update on the pandemic Thursday, saying the government didn’t have plans to implement new restrictions but that the population needs to be “very vigilant.”
“The virus is there but we have to live with the virus and we must limit the spread,” he said.
Public health director Dr. Luc Boileau described the recent upswing in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths as a new wave of the health crisis. The peak could come later this month, he added.
“We’re saying that we’re in seventh wave because of the numbers we’re confronted to, which are much greater than they were before,” he said. “Less than a month ago, it was completely different.”
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As a result, Dubé stressed respecting the rules that remain in effect, including the isolation period for those who contract the virus. Quebec has removed almost all its public health measures and has made masking a personal choice, except for in hospitals, long-term care homes and other health-care facilities.
Boileau agreed, saying one of the factors driving transmission is that infected people aren’t respecting the isolation rules. He also advised people to continue washing their hands as well as wearing a mask or keeping a physical distance from others in crowded places.
“The situation is under control for the moment and our goal is to protect the most vulnerable,” Dubé said, adding officials will continue to follow the situation closely.
The advice comes as the Health Department reported 16 new deaths linked to COVID-19 and a 37-patient increase in hospitalizations Thursday.
There were 1,534 people hospitalized with the disease, including 40 in intensive care, and more than 7,300 health-care workers off the job in connection with COVID-19.
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The province has reported 15,646 deaths from COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, the most in the country.
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Officials also recommended people get a COVID-19 booster, adding that the Health Department would publish a chart later on Thursday to help people determine when it is the best time to do so. Dubé said 88 per cent of Quebecers aged 60 and over and of those deemed high-risk have received at least three doses of COVID-19 vaccine.
“I want people to enjoy their summer but to have this understanding the virus is still present and we must remain careful,” he said.
Dr. Matthew Oughton, an attending physician with the division of infectious diseases at the Jewish General Hospital and assistant professor in medicine at McGill University, says that vaccination is an achievable goal during the ongoing pandemic.
There is ample scientific evidence that three doses of an approved vaccine gives the best protection against COVID-19, he explained.
“If you haven’t yet had your three doses but you’ve already had one or two doses, finish it off,” Oughton said. “Get the full three doses.”
— with files from Global News’ Olivia O’Malley and The Canadian Press
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