COVID-19 in Quebec: What you need to know on Thursday
Quebec is starting to relax some of the measures it had put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19
The latest:
- Quebec has 45,495 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and 3,800 people have died. That is an increase of 720 cases and 82 deaths from a day earlier.
- There are 1,504 people in hospital (a decrease of 41), including 176 in intensive care (a decrease of seven). Here's a guide to the numbers.
- Small outdoor gatherings will be allowed as of Friday, May 22.
- Dentists and other private health providers across the province will reopen June 1.
- Personal care businesses, such as hairdressers, will be allowed to reopen outside Montreal and Joliette June 1.
- Children's summer day camps will be allowed to open June 22.
- You can find out where Montreal's mobile testing sites are here.
Quebec's summer day camps will be allowed to open on June 22, with new measures in place to give children more space.
"I encourage teenagers and young adults to become monitors," said Premier François Legault, adding camps will be hiring more employees because they will need about twice as many counsellors this summer in order to comply with those measures.
"It's a great experience," Legault said.
Legault made the announcement at his daily briefing in Montreal, accompanied by Laval Mayor Marc Demers and the director of public health for the Laval region, Dr. Jean-Pierre Trépanier.
The rate of infection in Laval is now higher than that of Montreal. As of Thursday afternoon, there were 4,950 confirmed cases in Quebec's third-largest city, and 475 people have died.
"The situation is getting better in Laval, but we must stay vigilant," said Legault. He reiterated the importance of wearing a mask to help stop the spread of the virus, particularly while on public transit.
Relaxing measures
Soon you'll be able to get a haircut and hang out with friends (from two metres away) in many parts of the province.
Quebec is relaxing some of the measures put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Starting June 1, it will allow a number of personal-care services such as dental clinics and massage therapy to reopen.
Hairdressers, manicurists and other beauty-care services will be allowed to open on the same date — but not in the greater Montreal and Joliette areas, where there are still significant COVID-19 outbreaks.
And as of Friday, people across the province will be allowed to gather outside in groups of 10 from three different households, as long as they maintain physical distancing.
Legault's approval rating soared — then fell
Quebec Premier François Legault provided decisive leadership in the early days of the pandemic in Quebec, in March. At the time, he was given higher marks than any other leader in the country.
But now that Legault's government has started to open things up again, polls suggest he's heading into choppier waters.
Other info you should know
Arruda said he's still not satisfied by the number of people getting tested. He says the province now has the capacity to test up to 20,000 people every day. He is encouraging people to go and get tested. Find out where the nearest testing site is here.
