Date of publication: Apr 1, 2022 • 6 minutes ago • 10 minutes of reading Quebec elementary and high school students no longer need to wear masks in the classroom, but are still required on corridors, public areas and school buses. Photo by Pierre Obendrauf / Montreal Gazette
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Updated all day on Friday, April 1st. Questions / Comments: [email protected]
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Top updates
Opinion: Other CAQ policies are hampering health care reform 1 million doses later, the Olympic Stadium vaccination clinic will close next week. Document: Hospitalization trends may increase in the coming weeks, given the recent increase in cases Ontario monitors long-term care status as cases rise, minister says Future COVID-19 Waves Possible as Canada Goes ‘Transition’ – Tam Quebec schools see 75% increase in pandemic-related absences this week Quebec reports 17 more deaths as hospitalization hits three-week high Video: Federal officials release updated models for COVID-19 Quebec Pharmacists May Prescribe Paxlovid for COVID The province is called to expand the tests, to strengthen the messages as the sixth wave begins Montreal employers are going to reinstate staff two days a week after Easter Deliberate infection test shows COVID symptoms do not indicate elimination of the virus Italy ends COVID-19 state of emergency, restrictions will be lifted gradually With carrot and stick, China advances COVID vaccination for the elderly Quebec COVID guide: Vaccinations, tests Sign up for our free nightly coronavirus newsletter
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16:00
Thanks for reading
I will be back tomorrow with another live blog. In the meantime, you can watch all of our coverage via the coronavirus page. My previous live blogs about COVID-19 are available here. 3:15 p.m.
Opinion: Other CAQ policies are hampering health care reform
“Attracting and hosting newcomers to the province, to inject the necessary staff into the system, is essential to the success of the Quebec government’s health reform plan.” Read the latest column by Robert Libman. 3:10 p.m.
1 million doses later, the Olympic Stadium vaccination clinic will close next week.
The mass vaccination clinic at the Olympic Stadium will close on Thursday, April 7, the CIUSSS de l’Est-de-l’Île-de-Montréal regional health authority announced today.
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“After more than a year of operation, we are proud to announce that the Olympic Stadium vaccination teams will have administered more than 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine,” the authority said in a press release. Vaccine seekers can go to clinics at one of the eight Community Health Clinics (CLSCs) in East Montreal, with or without an appointment. Appointments are available on the Clic Santé booking website or by phone at 1-877-644-4545. 2:45 p.m.
Document: Hospitalization trends may increase in the coming weeks, given the recent increase in cases
This document, published today by the Public Health Service of Canada, provides an overview of the current epidemiological situation: 2 p.m.
Recent studies: Post-COVID vaccination improves immunity. ivermectin fails in a large test
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Although people recovering from COVID-19 usually develop some immune defenses against re-infection, they receive additional protection from vaccines, especially against severe disease, according to two studies published Thursday in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. Read our full story. 1:05 p.m.
Ontario monitors state of long-term care as cases rise: minister
From the Canadian Press: Ontario’s long-term care minister says the county is monitoring the situation in long-term care homes as COVID-19 cases rise and 10 percent of homes report cases. Paul Calandra says the county expected the cases to rise when Ontario lifted most public health measures, but noted that rules such as mandatory masks remain in long-term care.
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He says people in Ontario had to move on and live with COVID-19, including long-term care residents who last month saw restrictions on visits and other social activities relax. The county has also recently removed almost all general public health measures, such as mandatory masks in most public places, crowd capacity limits and vaccination proof rules. Cases and hospitalizations are rising again now, including in long-term care homes, but the provincial health minister said the government was not considering new measures. Calandra says vaccinations have made long-term care safer and the county will continue to provide resources to protect residents. 12:15 pm
Future COVID-19 Waves Possible as Canada Goes ‘Transition’ – Tam
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From the Canadian Press: Canada’s public health chief warned on Friday that the country was in the throes of a pandemic that could see further waves of COVID-19 outbreaks this year. “We anticipate that progress will not be linear and there will likely be more shocks along the way, including a resurgence of cases this spring, and probably also in the fall and winter,” said Dr Theresa Tam. COVID-19 is still widely available and the risk of recurrence remains, Tam said during a news briefing. Tam advised Canadians to continue wearing masks and to ensure that vaccinations are up to date due to the increased risk of cases and in light of reduced public health measures. Canada is seeing a steady increase in COVID-19 variant BA.2, and continued genomic surveillance will remain critical to monitoring variants of concern, he said.
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Monitoring wastewater trends can also be a useful tool for monitoring COVID-19 transmission in communities, Tam said. Increased personal activity, the presence of the BA.2 variant, and decreased immunity may have played a role in increasing transmission. Tam said that since Thursday, the daily average number of cases has increased by 28 percent nationwide, indicating that a resurgence is underway. As a result, there may be an increase in hospitalizations in the country, Tam said, noting that these trends may vary by region. But he added that Canadians are now better able to live with the virus and the overall impact on the healthcare system may be more manageable due to the high immunity of the population to vaccination and recent infection.
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11:55 a.m.
Quebec schools see 75% increase in pandemic-related absences this week
The increase in the number of Quebec students absent due to COVID-19, which began last week, continues. Seventy-five percent more students were absent on Tuesday than a week earlier, according to a data analysis provided by the Ministry of Education. A total of 24,489 students were absent, compared to 14,015 a week earlier. The numbers include children who tested positive as well as those who were isolated without a positive test. Of the 24,489 absent on Tuesday, 13,618 were elementary school students, with 10,098 from high school and 773 in adult education. One week earlier, 7,882 primary school students were absent, with 5,716 in high school and 417 in adult education.
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The number of teachers absent due to COVID is also increasing. On Tuesday, 1,621 were absent. This compares to 936 last week. The change represents an increase of 73 percent. 11:50 a.m.
Chart: Current situation compared to one year ago
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Charts: Quebec cases, deaths
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Charts: The Quebec Vaccination Campaign
11:05 a.m.
Quebec reports 17 more deaths as hospitalization hits three-week high
Quebec has recorded 3,182 new COVID-19 cases, the provincial government announced this morning. Case counts include only individuals who have undergone PCR at state screening clinics. It does not accurately reflect the number of cases, as it does not include the results of home rapid tests. In addition, 17 new deaths were reported, bringing the total to 14,382.
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Hospital admissions continue to rise and have not been as high for more than three weeks. Some other key statistics from the latest Quebec update for COVID-19:
Montreal Island: 638 cases, zero deaths. Net increase in hospitalizations: 37, a total of 1,275 (177 were admitted to hospital, 140 were discharged). Net reduction in intensive care patients: 4, out of a total of 62 (9 were admitted to the ICU, 13 were discharged). 21,139 PCR tests were performed on Wednesday. 20,898 vaccine doses were administered in the previous 24 hours
11 a.m.
Video: Federal officials release updated models for COVID-19
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10:10 a.m.
