(Montreal) As the Omicron variant gains ground, the public activities of the ministers of the government of Quebec will be suspended.
The “meteoric rise in COVID-19 cases and an increase in hospitalizations” justifies this decision, confirmed Prime Minister François Legault’s press secretary, Ewan Sauves. This measure is therefore preventive, to prevent the virus from spreading further.
The news, first reported by Radio-Canada, resulted in the cancellation of press conferences, public announcements, and other activities in which ministers were to participate.
New scenarios concerning the progression of the COVID pandemic will be presented to François Legault on Monday at the end of the day by the National Institute of Public Health of Quebec (INSPQ) and the National Institute of Excellence in Health and Social Services (INESSS) , also mentioned his press officer.
This announcement comes following the publication of a report by Press, in which several experts deplore that the restrictions announced this week by Quebec to control the spread of the virus are insufficient.
Last Thursday, the Prime Minister announced that the Christmas gatherings will have to bring together a maximum of 10 people rather than 20. As of Monday, the capacity of restaurants and shops will be 50%.
Again Sunday, a sharp increase in hospitalizations related to COVID-19 was reported in Quebec. Public Health identified 3,846 new cases of the virus in the province on the same day.
Calls to close schools are increasing
Following the announcement of the cancellation of the ministers’ public activities, several parents are calling for the closure of schools on social networks. “They’re all on hold, but the schools are open?” Find the mistake, ”wrote a Twitter user. Others indicate that they will not send their children to school on the last days of school.
Earlier this week, the Alliance of Teachers of Montreal demanded that the return to class of elementary school students be postponed until January 10, as will be the case for high schools.