Wearing a mask: the pros and cons
“Given the high proportion of young people who are vaccinated, this is a measure that can be alleviated, especially since there are very few outbreaks in secondary schools,” says DD Maryse Guay, professor at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Sherbrooke.
Benoit Barbeau, virologist and professor in the department of biological sciences at the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM), agrees.
The secondary school environment is relatively stable and safe.
Benoit Barbeau, virologist
Quebec experienced a peak of 44 active outbreaks in its high schools in mid-September. After a drop, we have been crossing a plateau of 25 active outbreaks for two weeks. It falls short of the 200 or so outbreaks active in elementary schools.
For her part, Nathalie Grandvaux, researcher at the research laboratory on the host’s response to viral infections at the Center hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), considers that this is a “premature decision”. “I don’t understand the urgency of removing the mask,” she says.
The specialist would have preferred that Quebec wait for the vaccination of the youngest before relaxing the measures for adolescents. “Vaccination in 5 to 11 year olds should give us one more way to limit transmission. We will then be in a much better position to make relaxations of this kind, ”she summed up.
Dance and song: caution
Dancing in restaurants and bars will require a mask to be worn, as will karaoke activities, if a distance of two meters from others cannot be maintained. The experts consulted believe that these are security measures.
With the wearing of a mask and a vaccination passport, we have all the measures to limit transmission.
Nathalie Grandvaux, researcher
However, specialists call for caution, so that these measures are applied correctly. “Alcohol makes us lower our guard and take more risks,” said DD Guay. “We especially do not want to relive a major outbreak as in the last few months,” added Mme Grandvaux.
Mr. Barbeau welcomes these gradual relaxations. “We give a little oxygen to the bars, but we are not going back to square one as before the pandemic, since the mask is still required and people must be vaccinated,” he said.
Back to the office: the time has come
Experts are unanimous: if the rules are respected, the return to the office in person should not pose a problem. “It won’t happen overnight. I imagine that people will wait until after the holidays to come back face to face, so all of this will be done gradually ”, maintains the DD Grandvaux.
Various players in the workplace have said they are satisfied with this relaxation. “This is good news, as organizations prepared for a comeback in September. Does that mean it’s going to fall into place right away? There will be no crowd movement. It will be done in stages. Some organizations are committed to a comeback in January. They will not get ahead of the expected return, ”said Manon Poirier, Director General of the Order of Certified Human Resources Advisors.
Michel Leblanc, President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, is delighted with the return of networking.
For the business community, networking is the oil that gets the engine going. There will be a gradual return to normal in the city center. Maybe that will activate business meetings.
Michel Leblanc, President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal
As for Me Katherine Poirier, labor and employment lawyer at BLG, she recommends that her client-employers develop a clear return to work and telework policy. “Most workplaces do testing. But even if it is a test, it is important to specify it so that the employees make a lifestyle choice accordingly, ”she concluded.
With Pierre-André Normandin, Press