(Montreal) It’s official: the obligation to wear a mask is over! In public places, except in public transport and health establishments, it is now allowed to smile at a stranger.
Updated at 0:32
Julia Dougall-Picard no longer believed she saw this day coming. “I saw the date and I said to myself: it can’t be, they’re going to push it back,” she says.
Not this time. Since Saturday, wearing a face covering is no longer mandatory in public places in Quebec, except in public transport and places where care is provided, such as hospitals and CHSLDs.
“Three clients told me that I had a beautiful smile! exclaims Julia, who works in a restaurant on rue Saint-Denis. If she was a little dreaded the adaptation period, Saturday morning, everything happened very naturally. “We got into the rush and I forgot that I didn’t have a mask,” she said.
Not everyone, however, has forgotten this. Many remain cautious and prefer to keep the mask on, found The Press in the field. “I don’t mind [de porter le masque]. It’s more on principle than because I don’t tempt to catch [la COVID-19] “says Félix Rainville.
PHOTO CATHERINE LEFEBVRE, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Felix Rainville
Without fear of the virus, others have adopted the face covering for simple comfort. “I got used to it and I feel less aware of my appearance,” says Joanie Pépin, who met at the Grande Bibliothèque.
PHOTO CATHERINE LEFEBVRE, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Joanie Pepin
Nevertheless, for many Quebecers, lifting the mask is a breath of fresh air. ” It feels good. It sure feels good,” says Sylvie Côté.
PHOTO CATHERINE LEFEBVRE, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Sylvie Cote
The number of hospitalizations still falling
The 20 new deaths reported on Saturday bring the daily average calculated over seven days to 20. The trend is stable over a week.
Quebec also observed a drop of 63 hospitalizations on Saturday. The 1691 people hospitalized at this time represent a decrease of 15% over one week. With 53 patients in intensive care, there is a drop of 17% over one week.
The number of people in hospital is expected to continue to decline over the next few days, with discharges continuing to outpace admissions. On average, there are 43 fewer patients every day.
The 798 new cases reported on Saturday bring the daily average to 826. The trend is thus down 32% over one week. These figures reflect only a portion of total infections, due to limited access to PCR screening tests.
With the collaboration of Pierre-André Normandin, The Press