The acting national director of public health, Luc Boileau, is asking for a “good fortnight” before determining the exact date for lifting the obligation to wear a mask in public places.
He wants to first “measure the impact” of the spring break on the epidemiological situation in Quebec. “There is a risk that there will be an increase in the number of cases. [Les semaines de relâche] are good opportunities to increase contacts, thus generating additional risks [d’hospitalisations] “, he argued, almost two years after the entry into force of the state of health emergency.
Wearing a mask will no longer be required in class for elementary and secondary students, when they are seated, starting Monday. It will no longer be required for young and old in public places, with the exception of public transport, by mid-April at the latest, recalled Dr Boileau, Thursday.
That said, the face covering will remain a “very effective instrument” to curb the transmission of COVID-19. To wear it or not, “it’s going to become a personal choice,” he said.
The National Directorate of Public Health has however already given the green light to the advancement by two days, from March 14 to 12, of the withdrawal of the vaccine passport and the limits of the reception capacity in public places. From next Saturday March 12, for example, there will be no capacity limit per table in restaurants, bars, taverns and casinos, which will be able to open according to their normal business hours.
“It’s a gradual return to normal life that everyone is impatiently awaiting,” noted Mr. Boileau, who presented himself armed with a “good dose of optimism” to the press on Thursday morning. “The epidemiological situation is really better than it was a few weeks ago,” he said, adding that the indicators – hospitalizations, total number of COVID-19 cases, number of COVID-19 cases 19 in some groups — turn green.
The National Directorate of Public Health “expects the landscape to still evolve quite well” over the next few weeks. “But, we are very vigilant,” insisted Dr Boileau. “Plan for the worst, hope for the best,” he said in English.