The strong transmission that was generated in the capital during the Festival d’été de Québec (FEQ) calls for “great vigilance” for the summer season, public health warned Thursday. The population – especially the most vulnerable – is invited to wear the mask in large gatherings, even outside.
Posted yesterday at 2:52 p.m.
“This festival has obviously generated cases. We understand very well that people want to live and move on, but this other thing, we have no control over that. The virus is still there, ”said the national director of public health, the Dr Luc Boileau, at a press conference on Thursday.
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Tens of thousands of festival-goers came to attend the closing concert of the Festival d’été de Québec on Sunday, July 17.
He also indicated that many health care workers were infected on the sidelines of the festival, which creates several absences in hospitals in Quebec. To those who have felt flu-like symptoms after the FEQ: “isolate yourself,” said Mr. Boileau, saying he hopes the situation will resolve quickly.
Earlier, Thursday, The Press had reported that screening in sewage and PCR tests showed that the spread was on the rise in the Quebec region. The coronavirus rate measured in the sewers of the capital has doubled in the past week. The trend is, however, stabilizing – even decreasing – in the other cities where measures have been taken, namely Montreal, Laval and Gatineau.
Without “criticizing” the FEQ, an “extraordinary” and “very high reputation” festival, Luc Boileau nevertheless recommended that the public protect themselves at future festivals, in order to avoid reproducing this kind of episodes of strong transmission.
Yes, you should wear the mask when you go to festivals and you are at risk. Older people who want to take advantage of that: they have fun, that’s ok, but wear the mask. And if others want to be kind enough to wear it to avoid passing that on, that’s not a bad idea.
Dr. Luc Boileau, national director of public health
This outdoor contagion could be due to the arrival of the BA.5 sub-variant, the most contagious since the start of the pandemic. This newcomer became dominant in Quebec at the end of June, representing 43% of new cases detected. In the United States, where the spread of variants has recently been similar to the situation in Quebec, BA.5 now accounts for 78% of new cases.
On the way to a plateau
Despite the arrival of BA.5, Quebec “is on its way to a plateau,” reiterated Mr. Boileau. He nevertheless acknowledged that the increase in COVID-19 infections was still continuing for the moment, and that the basic measures must continue to be applied by the population. “It continued to increase, but this pursuit wants to tend to stabilize. We are on our way to a plateau, ”he illustrated.
The head of public health recalled that the most recent projections from the National Institute of Excellence in Health and Social Services (INESSS), published on Wednesday, also provide for “a certain stability”. In its models, the organization said it expected a “stabilization of the number of new hospitalizations” in the next two weeks.
Like François Legault, the Dr Boileau recalled Thursday that the majority of hospitalized patients are “with COVID”, and not “for COVID”. “With the new variants, we are in a new world and we are trying to adapt to it. »
In addition to the mask, which remains optional except in health establishments, Quebec continues to call on the population to apply basic measures: social distancing, hand washing and respiratory etiquette.
Review of the day
The 20 new deaths reported on Thursday brought the daily average calculated over seven days to 15. The trend is up 35% over one week. Quebec also reported an increase of 53 hospitalizations on Thursday. The 2,110 people currently hospitalized represent an increase of 13% over one week. The 2,149 new cases recorded brought the daily average to 1,927. The trend is thus up 14% over one week. Finally, the number of workers absent due to the pandemic has increased. They were 7349 Thursday to have to isolate themselves.
Pierre-Andre Normandin, The Press