The Capitale-Nationale region is at the top of the provincial ranking for the vaccination of 5 to 11 year olds. Despite this enviable vaccination coverage, the mask is about to become compulsory again in the classes of primary schools in the region.
With 60% of its 55,000 children aged 5 to 11 now vaccinated or having made an appointment to become so, the Capitale-Nationale region exceeds the Quebec average by 47% for this age group.
However, regional public health prefers to play it safe. She announced, in the middle of the week, the imminent return of the compulsory mask in primary school classes.
The high number of outbreaks in schools justifies the measure, according to the public health department of the Capitale-Nationale.
The mask is also coming back to class in Greater Lévis
On the other side of the St.Lawrence, schoolchildren in Grand Lévis and Lotbinière will also have to start wearing masks in class again within the next few days, by order of the Ministry of Health. Here too, schools represent major sources of transmission: with 64 active outbreaks as of December 9, Public Health specifies that two-thirds of outbreaks in Chaudière-Appalaches are there.
Across Chaudière-Appalaches, a third of children have received a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Including those who have made an appointment to become one, vaccination coverage among 5-11 year olds is 50%.
From now on, only schoolchildren in the Montmagny-L’Islet sub-region escape wearing a face covering in class. The small Beaucerons have been under the influence for a long time. Less than 20% of them are vaccinated, according to data from December 10 released by the regional public health.
However, the CISSS de Chaudière-Appalaches is delighted that the increase in COVID-19 cases observed during the last week is not reflected in hospitals. The number of hospitalizations remains stable, proof, according to Public Health, that the vaccine acts as a bulwark against serious symptoms. The COVID-19 virus has infected 718 people over the past week in Chaudière-Appalaches. Of these, 70% were not adequately vaccinated.
In the opinion of epidemiologist Gaston de Serres, vaccination coverage, at present, is not enough to abandon certain health measures in schools.
“The first thing that would guide me to impose the mask, it is not the vaccination coverage because it takes 14 days before having good protection. If a young person is vaccinated today, it will be necessary to wait until Christmas so that he is well protected, ”he emphasizes.
He believes that wearing a mask is justified due to the sustained rise in cases in both regions.
“When we look at the cases and the snowball effect that it can cause, we must try to slow down the transmission,” he believes. “Imposing the mask, given the sustained rise in cases, is certainly advantageous in slowing the rise of a new wave. “