With the meteoric rise of the Omicron variant, Quebec sails from one sorry record to another while we try to understand the gravity of the situation, disoriented, between two peaks of tourtière and ephemeral festivities. There were just over 1,200 cases of coronavirus infection in the first week of December, when we still dreamed of gatherings of 20 or more for the holidays, and nearly 4,600 on five days of Christmas. On December 28, we were at 12,833 cases, a ridiculous statistic if there is one since Public Health can no longer keep up with the frantic pace of the virus.
We are hardly exaggerating when we say that now everyone knows someone who has contracted COVID-19 or who had to rush into confinement under the tree, alone or with family, after coming into contact with an infected person. With cases of infection on the rise, it will be necessary to prepare for disruptions in supply chains as employees of small and large companies bow to the virus. As an example, more than 2,000 flights were canceled in a single day in the United States as airlines were unable to rely on the required personnel.
It is in this context that we must analyze the decision taken on Tuesday by the Legault government to allow essential workers, especially in the health sector, to continue working even if they are declared positive for COVID-19. The Minister of Health and Social Services, Christian Dubé, claims to be “caught in a vice”. “We have more and more sick people and fewer and fewer people to treat them,” he said.
In a matter of days, the number of healthcare workers absent due to coronavirus infection increased from 4,000 to 7,000. Soon, more than 10,000 will be homebound. By allowing infected staff to stay at work, following a cautious case-by-case approach, Minister Dubé wishes to avoid the acceleration of service disruptions and load shedding.
Following the announcement, three health unions stepped up to voice their serious concerns. The president of the Interprofessional Health Federation of Quebec (FIQ), Julie Bouchard, did not mince words. “It is worrying, irresponsible and above all inconceivable,” she said.
Unions have every right to care about the protection of healthcare workers: delays in staff testing, empty stocks of N95 masks and other irritants are eroding the trust of an overworked network. But faced with the urgency of the situation, what are the unions proposing to avoid the imminent catastrophe? Let us hope that they can reach out to Minister Dubé and participate in the search for constructive solutions to avoid the implosion of the network.
There are still glimmers of hope on the horizon. Even if Public Health is careful not to draw hasty conclusions, everything indicates that the Omicron variant, with a formidable efficiency in jumping from one person to another, is less insidious than its predecessors. The national director of public health, Horacio Arruda, spoke of encouraging statistics. In previous waves, one in four hospitalizations required an intensive care stay, compared to one in ten with the Omicron variant.
The acceleration of the vaccination campaign for the third dose, announced on Tuesday, is also a positive development. The vaccination sequence will allow all adults to benefit from a booster dose between January 4 and 21 (starting with those aged 55 to 59).
Once again, Minister Dubé urged unvaccinated people to make an effort, because they exaggerate the pressure on the fragile health network. In fact, they are 12.6 times more likely to be hospitalized. Christian Dubé spoke of “very serious” decisions to come in the coming days if the situation deteriorates.
It is towards the unvaccinated that he will have to turn his gaze if he wants to tighten up sanitary measures, by excluding those who have a serious medical condition. Quebecers have been exemplary in their respect for health instructions and their massive support for the vaccination campaign. It would be unfair to be made to bear the brunt of further restrictions.
The freedom of conscience of the unvaccinated does not take precedence over that of the vaccinated. Without imposing vaccination, a measure doomed to failure, or limiting access to health care, it is time to tighten the screws on the unvaccinated. Those who refuse vaccination out of selfishness, recklessness, religious or personal beliefs should be made to bear the full consequences of their decision.