The snow is spreading its white coat, and eyes raised to the sky… Quebeckers are still wondering if the government will not prevent them, at the very last minute, from gathering for Christmas.
Christian Dubé did not close the door on Monday to such a turnaround.
“We take one day at a time”, replied the Minister of Health when asked about it during a press briefing where the warlike vocabulary was in the spotlight and consternation was read on the faces. .
But allow us to plead, with caution, so that Quebec does not modify its instructions by December 25.
So that we allow those who wish to get together as a family to celebrate, in small groups, without exceeding the cap of 10 people. And without meeting with another small group the next day, of course.
In short, so that we can say yes to a Christmas on tiptoe.
Let’s face it: on a human level (and on the mental health side of Grandpa, Sonny, etc.), it would be terribly heartbreaking to cancel all the celebrations planned, for the second year in a row.
And that would contradict the very essence of the discourse held by our leaders and public health authorities for over a year.
A message which essentially said: you have made immense sacrifices, you have for the most part respected the instructions with zeal, you have rolled up your sleeves with enthusiasm, so you have the right to hope for some return to normal life.
While we are trying to convince Quebecers to receive a booster dose of the vaccine, would it not be counterproductive to ask all those who have done so to isolate themselves during the Holidays? ? Especially since we have just imposed a whole series of new restrictions, necessary, but trying.
In fact, although the vaccine is not as effective against the new variant, it makes an important difference. Especially with three doses. And even those who received only two doses are significantly better protected against hospitalization (70%, according to a South African study) than the unvaccinated.
Let’s not lose sight of that.
Another big change from last year is that we have rapid tests. They are not infallible, it must be said. But they can still be very useful for the holidays. Quebec would also have every advantage in quickly dispelling the confusion that still exists about them and ensuring that all Quebecers have access to it. This is crucial.
Let’s say you have received two or three doses of one of the vaccines. Let’s also say that you have no symptoms and have isolated yourself for several days. Also, you have taken a quick test that shows you are negative (if you still carry the virus, it probably means that your viral load is too low to be detected and that you are less likely to transmit it), but you however, be aware that there is still some risk, which you assume.
So would it be fair to ask yourself, for example, to deprive yourself of seeing your parents at Christmas?
Again, this is not the time to take unnecessary risks. And Christmas gatherings or not, the experts remain adamant: we must reduce our contacts to the strict minimum.
We have just passed the 5,000 case milestone for the first time in Quebec since the start of the pandemic.
The state of emergency, which was lifted in Montreal last August, has just been reinstated on Tuesday by a mayor infected with COVID-19. The day before, Quebec had a new turn of the screw for many sectors, ranging from schools to bars through cinemas.
As for hospitalizations, they jumped in a very worrying way and the projections do not bode well.
At the same time, among those who rise to the front lines every day and save lives, 4,000 healthcare workers are already withdrawn from the network, among other things because they are sick or in administrative segregation.
War is declared, said Christian Dubé. And the opponent is visibly formidable.
But celebrating Christmas on tiptoe, with extreme caution and lowering our ambitions, does not mean that we would capitulate. It would rather be a way of showing that we do not let ourselves be defeated.