COVID-19 in Quebec: What you need to know Thursday

• Quebec reported 2,736 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday and five new deaths.
• Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 474,478 confirmed cases and 11,627 people have died.
• There are 305 people in hospital (a decrease of four), including 63 in intensive care (a decrease of 10). 
• The province has administered 14,136,257  doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, including 52,143 in the last 24 hours.
• 88 per cent of the eligible population in the province (ages five and up) has received one dose of vaccine, and 81 per cent has received two doses. 

Quebec's Health Ministry does not publish the number of vaccines administered on weekends and public holidays. 

Premier François Legault held a news conference this evening to announce new measures to combat COVID-19 and the Omicron variant.

He released a set of new measures that will go into effect Monday, including:

• Masks will be again required in primary and high school classrooms and buses.                                           
• Primary schools will reopen after the New Year at the regular date. High schools will be remote learning until Jan. 10.
• Private gatherings will be reduced to 10 people inside, 20 outside and it is recommended that people use rapid testing kits before gathering.
• Stores can have one client per 20 square metres.
• Places of worship will reduce capacity by 50 per cent, with a cap of 250 people. Vaccine passports will be required and people must be seated.
• Funerals and weddings can have up to 25 people without requiring vaccine passports, but up to 250 people with passports.
• Working from home is strongly recommended.
• At work, two metres of distance must be maintained, masks worn at all times, and there will be increased monitoring for at-risk places.
• For public activities, capacity is lowered by 50 per cent to a maximum of 250 people. People must stay seated and wear a mask at all times. 
• Bars and restaurants must cut capacity by 50 per cent, spacing tables as much as possible, with a maximum of 10 people at tables.
• Dancing and karaoke are banned once again
• Cinemas and theatres will also have capacity reduced by 50 per cent.

Legault said, as of Monday, rapid tests will be available in pharmacies. However, people should be staying home if they have symptoms and getting officially tested.

As of Monday, people who are 65 and over will be able to make an appointment for a booster shot, Dubé said. People with certain health conditions 60 and up will also be able to make appointments, he said.

The Monday after that, all people 60 and up will be able to make an appointment. From there, the aim is to begin offering the rest of the population booster shots in the New Year.

This comes as cases continue to rise, with 2,736 new cases announced Thursday. The numbers are comparable to January, when Quebec was in the midst of the second wave of the pandemic.

The government had previously announced that as of Dec. 23, fully vaccinated Quebecers could gather in groups of up to 20. As cases rose, Legault said he hadn't ruled out changing those restrictions.

"It wouldn't be responsible to not look at all the possibilities, and we have to keep measures that will have an impact on [decreasing] hospitalizations," he said.

Bell Centre closed to fans for tonight's game

The Montreal Canadiens will take on Philadelphia tonight at the Bell Centre, but there will be no fans in attendance.

The team announced late this afternoon that Quebec public health officials asked for the measure and the team had accepted "to help ensure the safety and security of our fans and fellow citizens throughout our community."

Education minister tests positive for COVID-19

Quebec Education Minister Jean-François Roberge announced Thursday that he has tested positive for COVID-19.

In a tweet, Roberge said that he has been told to isolate until Dec. 25, but has already been in preventive isolation since Monday.

Montreal public health says two doses 'isn't enough'

Montreal's director of public health said the current restrictions in Quebec likely won't be enough to contain the spread of the new Omicron variant of COVID-19.

Speaking to CBC Montreal's Daybreak, Dr. Mylène Drouin said she's seeing the community transmission of Omicron ramping up across the city.

Though Delta is currently still the dominant strain of the virus overall, she said Montreal is "not far" from the situation in Ontario, where Omicron is expected to imminently become the majority of COVID-19 cases.

"With Omicron, we know that two doses are not enough, and do not have an efficacy that is as good as [it was] for the Delta variant," she said.

"Even though it is not a perfect vaccine, it is the best way to protect ourselves."

Surgeries cancelled in Montreal due to outbreak

Non-urgent surgeries have been suspended at a major Montreal hospital, following an outbreak of COVID-19.

Notre-Dame Hospital confirmed Thursday that five members of its operating room staff tested positive for the virus. For the time being, the operating rooms will be operating at the bare minimum, due to the staff shortage.

Urgent and oncological surgeries will continue.

The news comes as public health officials in Montreal, as well as both the Quebec and federal governments, urge Quebecers to reduce their contacts and rethink travel in light of the Omicron variant. 

Top COVID-19 stories

• People are rethinking travel and gathering plans as COVID-19 cases soar
• Governments scramble as Omicron variant takes over 
• What you need to know about traveling, gathering, and rapid testing
• Quebec-made vaccine shows 'high efficacy' against COVID-19
• Doctor convinced vaccine hesitant patient attendant to get her shot with patience and respect