The Quebec government is juggling with a growing weariness of the population with health measures, according to some experts. Enough to offer easings a little faster than caution would suggest.
Posted at 9:57 p.m.
The Quebec government could announce further easing on Tuesday, in time for the Super Bowl, reported The Journal of Montreal Monday evening. Notably, the number of people allowed in private gatherings could go back to 10 people, as it was before Christmas.
“We feel that the Quebec population can’t take it anymore,” explains Roxane Borgès Da Silva, professor at the School of Public Health at the University of Montreal. And that’s okay. But we remain very fragile and strongly threatened by hospital vulnerability. You have to find a certain balance. »
An opinion shared by Benoît Mâsse, epidemiologist at the University of Montreal. “I think that both on the side of Public Health and François Legault, they would rather be careful, he believes. But they recognize that people will meet the same [pour le Super Bowl]because there is not much listening [de la part de la population]. »
need to breathe
According to the expert, the fact that a large part of the population has been infected with the Omicron variant or has received its booster dose has a role to play in this decrease in adherence to health measures. “Quebecers tell themselves that they are pretty well protected,” he summarizes.
People need to breathe and see people, adds Roxane Borgès Da Silva.
The government must make choices that will have a positive impact on mental health and socialization needs, but not too negative on the number of cases. Gatherings of 10 people in homes is better than 200 people in a bar.
Roxane Borgès Da Silva, professor at the School of Public Health at the University of Montreal
The important thing, above all: to avoid a mass movement where the entire population would cease to respect health measures. “We try to avoid a general dropout of all Quebecers, notes Benoît Mâsse. Therefore, [le gouvernement et la Santé publique] lift the lid gently. »
Why the Super Bowl rather than, say, a music festival? “I have the impression that the government is working more on the impact on the population than on the prioritization of sectors”, analyzes Roxane Borgès Da Silva. For Benoît Masse, the fact that the Super Bowl attracts thousands of viewers across the province may explain the decision. “It’s an acknowledgment that people are going to meet for the Super Bowl anyway,” he said.
The fact that Quebecers see the world deconfine does nothing to help support the measures in place, according to Roxane Borgès Da Silva. But we must be careful with international comparisons, reminds the expert: “Denmark, France, England have a much better hospital capacity than ours, and their vaccination coverage of the third dose is much higher than with us. »