Date of publication: March 30, 2022 • 7 minutes ago • 11 minutes reading Paramedics transport a patient suspected of having COVID-19 to the emergency department’s COVID-1 ward at Notre-Dame Hospital in Montreal on January 13, 2022. Photo by Allen McInnis / Montreal Gazette
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Updated all day on Wednesday 30 March. Questions / Comments: [email protected]
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Highly contagious BA.2 variant now accounts for 65% of Quebec cases, says INSPQ US removes COVID warning for cruise travel after two years Canada is facing a rising tide of COVID as restrictions loosen Biden receives second aid, pushes for more funding for COVID Quebec is starting 4 doses of CHSLD vaccine Clic Santé error appears to have been corrected New hospitalizations could double in two weeks, Quebec forecasts Infections are rising again in New York, mostly between 25 and 34 Cases are rising as Quebec reports 8 deaths, 47 extra hospitalizations Quebec Deputy Prime Minister comes out positive, raising to 9 the number of excluded MNAs “People have given up their vigilance” as a new rise begins in Quebec Many Quebec bars close due to epidemics: report Opinion: Health reform puts Quebecists between skepticism and necessity COVID is spreading rapidly in the Gaspé region, which survived the last wave “We demand an explanation!” Shanghai residents relieve lockdown irritation due to COVID Quebec COVID guide: Vaccinations, tests Sign up for our free nightly coronavirus newsletter
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3:55 p.m.
Highly contagious BA.2 variant now accounts for 65% of Quebec cases, says INSPQ
The BA.2 underline of the #Omicron variant currently accounts for 65% of # COVID19 cases in Quebec. Although it would be more contagious than BA.1, its infectious action and vaccine resistance would be similar. 👇 https://t.co/Xae3uTnMRL – INSPQ (@INSPQ) March 30, 2022
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3:50 p.m.
US removes COVID warning for cruise travel after two years
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday removed its COVID-19 alert for cruise travel, about two years after introducing a warning scale that shows the level of risk of transmitting the coronavirus to cruise ships. Read our full story. 3:50 p.m.
Canada is facing a rising tide of COVID as restrictions loosen
Much of Canada is facing a new wave of COVID-19 as authorities relax measures aimed at curbing the spread of the virus, encouraging short-term outbreaks and relatively high vaccination rates. Read our full story. 3:50 p.m.
The WHO is preparing a plan for overcoming the emergency phase of the pandemic
The World Health Organization on Wednesday released an updated plan for COVID-19, which sets out key strategies that, if implemented in 2022, would allow the world to end the pandemic emergency phase.
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Read our full story. 3:15 p.m.
Biden receives second aid, pushes for more funding for COVID
From the Reuters news agency: US President Joe Biden rolled up his sleeve for a second boost for COVID-19 on Wednesday as his administration worked to help Americans live with the coronavirus, including a new website and a new impetus for vaccinations and funding. “If we fail to invest, we leave ourselves vulnerable if another wave hits,” Biden told the White House, launching COVID.gov, an information clearing agency that aims to help people manage the virus as they search. the return to normalcy. On Tuesday, U.S. health officials approved a second booster dose for Americans age 50 and older and people with immunosuppression, two years after the pandemic began.
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Biden, 79, received the fourth dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. A second shot from Moderna’s shot was also approved. Several pharmacy chains, including CVS Health and the Walgreens Boots Alliance, have said they will begin offering second-line boosters. Nearly 982,000 people in the United States have died from COVID since early 2020 in multiple waves of the disease, according to a Reuters analysis of local data. Although vaccines and increasingly available treatments for COVID-19 have reduced serious illness and death, public health officials are monitoring BA.2, a variant of Omicron that now accounts for more than half of all cases in the United States. . U.S. officials said they did not expect another major increase, but noted that COVID cases could rise from BA.2 or later, reflecting the government’s position that the country needs to learn to live and adapt to some level. of the coronavirus.
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2:45 p.m.
Quebec is starting 4 doses of CHSLD vaccine
Quebec says it has begun delivering fourth doses of COVID-19 vaccine (also referred to as second aid) to people living in long-term care homes (CHSLDs) and other living quarters. The vaccination campaign started yesterday. “Given the current context of the pandemic and the increase in transmission caused by the presence of BA.2 (Omicron subtype), this booster dose is offered to provide additional protection to the most vulnerable,” the health ministry said. “All living environments are affected by this additional vaccination, including CHSLD, intermediate and family type resources (RI-RTF) and private nursing homes (RPA).
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“Mobile teams will travel to these environments. “No action is required on the part of the people or their relatives to make an appointment.” Quebec residents over the age of 80, as well as people with immunosuppression, can book an appointment for the new booster via the Clic Santé booking website or go to a clinic. 2:15 p.m.
Clic Santé error appears to have been corrected
More than 24 hours later, the Ministry of Health still has not answered my questions about malfunctions in Clic Santé for some Quebec trying to book a fourth dose (also referred to as second boosters). However, the reader who sparked the question says that she finally managed to make an appointment for her elderly mother, who lives in Côte-St-Luc, at the nearby vaccination clinic in Décarie Square.
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When she first tried it yesterday – the first day this age group was eligible – Clic Santé said the nearest appointment was 250 miles away. (see the item with a time mark of 3 pm on yesterday’s live blog). This morning, he was able to book it in Piazza Décarie. A spokesman for the regional health authority CIUSSS du Center-Ouest-de-l’Ile-de-Montréal said yesterday that “many” appointments should be available at the clinic. He blamed the problem on “technical issues with Clic Santé” and referred questions to the Ministry of Health. Walking appointments are also available. If you have successfully completed a fourth-dose vaccine per week or have not been able to do so, let me know: [email protected] 1:30 p.m.
New hospitalizations could double in two weeks, Quebec forecasts
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Quebec could see 200 new daily hospitalizations for COVID-19 patients in two weeks, according to forecasts published today by the Institut National d ‘Excellence en santé et en services sociaux (INESSS). INESSS reported that the number of patients with COVID-19 in intensive care units is also expected to increase in the coming weeks, although it did not give a number. For the past seven days, the province’s hospitals have received an average of just over 100 new COVID-19 positive patients daily. The Quebec Government Health Research Institute said that for the first time since the peak of the fifth wave in mid-January, the number of hospitalizations increased last week, compared to the previous week.
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“The increase is observed in all age groups and in all areas,” the institute said in a press release. “Although there has been a slight increase in the number of people in need of intensive care, this number remains relatively low.” 11:50 a.m.
Cases are rising again in New York, mostly between 25 and 34
From Bloomberg News: COVID-19 cases in New York are rising again, especially among people aged 25 to 34, according to city officials. The wave seems to be concentrating in Manhattan, the most vaccinated town. In an unusual move, the New York Department of Health and Mental Health posted a warning on Twitter on Wednesday, saying it was “strongly recommended” that New Yorkers wear masks indoors and receive booster vaccines.
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The warning was in contrast to the city’s COVID warning system, which identifies the COVID alarm level as …
