During an interview Sunday, Quebec’s interim director of public health, Dr. Luc Boileau said the government was considering extending mask orders to the province, which were expected to be lifted on April 15. “We are seriously considering whether it is not the right time to push for the end of mask orders at a later date due to the severity of this wave,” Boileau said. “We certainly expect to provide a recommendation in this direction.” According to Radio Canada, Quebec Public Health will make its recommendation to the government on Monday, with a decision to be made public the next day. Boileau said the sixth wave of infections has risen in severity since his presence in the province was confirmed by the Quebec Institute of Public Health (INSPQ) earlier this week. Nearly 1,300 people have been hospitalized with COVID-19 since Friday, when 17 people died. However, Boileau said, no other restrictions are planned. He said the government was urging Quebec residents to take precautions and be aware of the risks of contracting the virus before engaging in any activity involving other people. “People have experienced the COVID-19 pandemic. They have been flooded by it for two years. In general, they have absorbed the important information they need to protect themselves and others,” Boileau said. “Citizens have to come to terms with their behavior. I know everyone is tired of hearing it and the announcement of the sixth wave was a severe blow.” Benoit Barbeau, a virologist at the Department of Biological Sciences at the Université du Québec à Montréal, said that the BA.2 Omicron subtype is more contagious than the original Omicron variant. Barbeau agreed that it would be a good idea to delay the removal of masks in public places. “I would give him a week to better assess how the situation is developing,” he said. “People think we have reached the endemic phase of the pandemic, but we have not reached it yet.”
