Pope Francis’ visit to Quebec will draw crowds to the Capitale-Nationale region this week, and local Public Health is hoping the massive event won’t lead to an uptick in COVID-19 cases.
After three days spent in Alberta at the start of the week, the sovereign pontiff will head for the Old Capital on Wednesday and will also spend three days there.
On Wednesday and Thursday, two events in which he will participate will be observed by thousands of people live on the Plains of Abraham, not to mention the hundreds of others who will have the opportunity to be in the National Shrine of Sainte-Anne de Beaupré. to hear the mass he will deliver on Thursday.
The Public Health Department of the Capitale-Nationale therefore invited the population to “redouble caution at all times”, by means of a press release on Tuesday, in addition to asking participants to “strengthen the precautionary measures against COVID-19 during the papal visit.
Public Health will notably offer disinfectant solutions and procedural masks at the transport shuttle boarding sites.
Obviously, she also calls on people who show symptoms related to COVID-19, such as fever, cough or sore throat, not to go to the planned events.
“Even when events take place outside, large and dense crowds can be a major vector of contagion,” recalled the medical assistant to the director of public health, Dr. Jacques Girard.
Last week, the national director of public health, Dr. Luc Boileau, had indicated in particular that the Festival d’été de Québec, which took place from July 7 to 17, led to an increase in the number of contaminations in the region.
Not just COVID-19
In addition to the risks related to COVID-19, Public Health also invites event participants not to neglect the health problems that may be related to exposure to the sun and heat.
“Heat should not be taken lightly, especially when accompanied by high humidity,” says Public Health. The intensity of the sun, the rain as well as hunger and standing and essentially standing still for long periods of time can have significant health impacts, especially for vulnerable people. »
Since the broadcasts of the Pope’s events will take place in the middle of the day, people going to the Plains of Abraham are asked to bring enough water, bring cold meals or snacks, wear light clothing and use Sun cream.
Public Health will also deploy psychological support teams who will be present both at the Sainte-Anne de Beaupré National Shrine and on the Plains of Abraham to provide support to First Nations members who feel the need.
penitential pilgrimage
Pope Francis is spending the week in Canada as part of the reconciliation process with First Nations for the role the Catholic Church played in the residential school system.
An estimated 150,000 Aboriginal children were forced to attend residential schools, where neglect and physical and sexual abuse were common. More than 60% of these schools were run by the Catholic Church.
On Monday in Alberta, the sovereign pontiff officially apologized on behalf of the Church, saying he was “deeply distressed” by what the Aboriginal children experienced in these establishments.
On Tuesday, a mass in front of more than 60,000 people was on its schedule at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton.
It is Wednesday that the Pope will travel to Quebec, where he will be welcomed during an official ceremony which will be broadcast on the Plains of Abraham.
The following day, he will deliver a mass, which will focus on residential school survivors, at the National Shrine of Sainte-Anne de Beaupré. Once again, a broadcast on giant screens will take place on the plains.
The organizers anticipate that between 10,000 and 15,000 people will also be able to attend inside and outside the basilica.
The trip will conclude on Friday with a short trip to Iqaluit, in the north of the province.