Larger gatherings for the Holidays could be possible for “a few days,” Prime Minister François Legault said on Wednesday.
The government had announced that gatherings of 20 vaccinated people would be possible from December 23 for a period that had not been specified.
With the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, Legault said on Wednesday that this plan could be reviewed.
“By the 23rd, we have to be careful,” he said. Are we going to give Quebecers a few days, if only for mental health, when they have bigger families, [la possibilité] to see each other, that’s what we’re seeing. “
The unknown for the moment remains the impact of the new variant on hospitalizations and this is why Mr. Legault was not able to give more details on a possible downward revision of gatherings.
“I have no proposals in this direction today with public health,” he said. We don’t have that in the other Canadian provinces either, but we have to be careful. “
Mr. Legault participated Tuesday evening in a meeting with his provincial and federal counterparts about the effects of Omicron on the measures in place.
“For gatherings of 20 people, Quebec has the most severe measures,” he said. The other prime ministers are also having questions. Nothing should be ruled out for the next few days. “
The meeting also addressed restrictions on non-essential travel.
“Mr. Trudeau is proposing a tightening of borders, unnecessary travel, we are open to that,” he said. No more tests at airports, we are open to that, but what I said is that it takes more federal government employees. “