Still reeling from the surge in the number of COVID-19 cases during the Festival d’été de Québec, Public Health is now warning that the pope’s visit to the capital could generate a certain level of transmission, especially since the event is likely to attract older people, who are therefore more vulnerable.
Updated yesterday at 11:07 p.m.
“Are we expecting a rise in cases? It is not excluded, but what concerns us more is the age of the people who could contract the virus. At the moment, of the 225 people hospitalized in Quebec, most are generally over 60 years old, ”explained to The Press the medical assistant to the director of public health, the Dr Jacques Girard.
He says that while transmission seems to have slowed in the rest of the province, it still remains “quite significant” in the Quebec region.
We are less worried about the number of new cases than about the impact that there could be on the people who will participate in the activities surrounding the Pope’s visit.
The Dr Jacques Girard, medical assistant to the director of public health
The Dr Girard added that his team would “monitor closely” the progression of hospitalizations linked to COVID-19 in Quebec hospitals.
Certain “contingency plans” were also set up in the wake of the arrival of the sovereign pontiff in the capital, in order to avoid any potential “service hole” in the network. “Everything is planned”, assures the expert, saying he hopes that the arrival of August will calm the situation in the region.
Until then, Public Health “Asks people to bring a mask and possibly wear it if distancing is not possible” near papal activities, insists Mr. Girard. “For people who have specific medical conditions, or immune problems, we recommend wearing the mask without even asking the question. Age is also an important factor,” he insists.
Calls for vigilance
In a press release on Tuesday, the Public Health of the Capitale-Nationale launched a new call for vigilance, urging citizens to “be extra careful” and to apply all precautionary measures against the virus. “Even when events take place outside, large and dense crowds can be a significant vector of contagion,” also recalled the Dr Girard.
In order to limit the transmission of the virus as much as possible, alcohol-based disinfectant solutions and medical masks will also be distributed to the public at the transport shuttle boarding sites. “We strongly recommend that people use them, especially when they are unable to maintain appropriate physical distancing,” Dr.r Girard.
His team also reminds that with the expected hot weather, the population should protect themselves against discomfort and dehydration, by bringing a hat, water and food, especially for activities that will last several hours. , in large crowds. Ambulances will be deployed around gathering places as a precautionary measure.
Public Health invites all those who show symptoms of COVID-19 to avoid attending planned activities, by acting “responsibly”.
Thus, only people who are asymptomatic, without contact with a case or who do not test positive should go to indoor and outdoor gathering sites.
Last week, the national director of public health, the Dr Luc Boileau, had recognized that a strong transmission had been generated in the capital during the Festival d’été de Québec (FEQ). According to him, the situation calls for “great vigilance” for the summer season. He had also invited the population – especially the most vulnerable – to wear the mask in large gatherings, even outside. According to the most recent data available, screening in wastewater and PCR tests show that the spread is on the rise in the Quebec City region.
Pope Francis will spend two nights in Quebec. Activities will take place on July 27 and 28 on the Plains of Abraham, with an address by the Pope from the Citadel on July 27. On July 28, a mass will also take place at the Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré basilica.