“We are in a race against time,” said Prime Minister Francois Legault, adding that Quebec has lost the race so far.
An evening from 20:00 to 5:00 will take effect on Saturday. Restaurants, gyms, theaters and most retail stores will remain closed for at least four weeks. Legault calls it “shock therapy” which he hopes will not have to expand.
Elementary schools will reopen as planned next week, but more students will be required to wear masks. The high schools will reopen on January 18.
All Quebecers are urged to stay home and travel only if absolutely necessary. Those who do not comply could receive fines of thousands of dollars.
“We’re talking about saving lives here and we’re talking about saving our health care system,” Legault said.
Weeks ago, many health professionals pressured the Quebec government to block more, after warning that its hospital system is bending.
“None of us want another hard block, but we’re really in a very precarious situation right now,” said Dr. Marina Klein, director of research and infectious disease specialist at McGill University Health Center. in an interview with CNN.
For months, Quebec has seen a steady increase in new cases, hospitalizations and coronavirus deaths.
Data from the Quebec Ministry of Health show that approximately 1,400 people are currently hospitalized with Covid-19, the second only province in Ontario, with 76 new hospitalizations reported on Tuesday alone.
A Quebec health advisory group warned in December that Quebec could run out of hospital capacity by the end of January if hospitalizations continue to rise.
Klein says the partial restrictions that have been in place in Quebec since the fall have been ineffective against the spread of the virus.
“It’s like a slow torture in which we were subjected, unlike the alternative solution, to do something very hard, very difficult for a short period of time, which is probably much more effective,” says Klein. She said health workers are exhausted and morale is low as many have been exposed to the virus or are already infected.
Canada has faced a second stubborn wave of the virus, which is getting worse by the day, according to public health officials.
“Covid-19 is widespread among people of all ages, with high rates of infection in all age groups. However, at the national level, infection rates remain highest among those aged 80 and over. , which presents the highest risk of severe results, “warned Dr. Theresa. Tam, the director general of public health in Canada, in a statement released Wednesday.
“The downstream impact of weeks and months of increased disease activity continues to be seen in increasing numbers of serious illnesses and deaths …”
Ontario, which is home to two out of five Canadians, is also facing an increase in hospitalizations, despite imposing its own blockade across the province on December 26th. The Ontario government says it is closely monitoring Quebec and is considering tougher measures.
“I always say everything is on the table, but let’s see where the numbers go,” Ontario Prime Minister Doug Ford told a news briefing on Tuesday.
Legault says businesses and schools are not a major source of outreach. Instead, private social gatherings inside the houses led to the crisis. He said a switch lock is now needed.
“My concern at the moment is that we are facing a potential introduction of an even more transmissible strain, this is the one that is being seen right now in the UK and if there is an epidemic already out of our control, we are talking about a situation I’ve never seen before, “said Dr. Klein.