COVID-19 in Quebec is seeing a surge of cases with both the Omicron and BA.2 variants gaining traction. On April 13, Quebec Director of Public Health, Dr. Luc Boileau gave an update regarding the current COVID-19 situation throughout the province, detailing common symptoms to be aware of. While respiratory symptoms, fever and loss of taste and small have long been indicated as symptoms to look out for, Dr. Boileau has stated that these are no longer the most frequent and common symptoms with the newest variants.
The Quebec mask mandate will last longer than initially planned. While officials had said that face-covering rules would end in most places in mid-April, Interim National Public Health Director Dr. Luc Boileau confirmed Tuesday that public health has officially recommended that the government maintain the mandate through April.
Following a brief lull in cases after the Omicron variant swept through the province (worst. Christmas. ever), COVID-19 cases in Quebec have begun to increase yet again. In the last 24 hours, Quebec has seen 3,319 new cases and 1,238 new hospitalizations, many of which seem to be from the Omicron BA.2 variant.
Quebec's state of emergency could soon be lifted. Health Minister Christian Dubé has tabled a bill in the National Assembly that would by and large return the province to normal. If passed, however, the bill would extend some of the special government powers granted by the state of emergency through December 2022.
This very well may have been the longest two years of our lives. Remember when the thought of socially distancing for two weeks had everybody in a tizzy? There's no way we could have imagined that this particular moment in history would be as intense as it has been.Now, as we enter a new spring, restrictions are lifting, and everything is slowly returning to "normal" (whatever that even means in a post-COVID context), many Quebecers are reluctant to give up the habits made during the pandemic.In the aftermath of trucker convoys in Ottawa and Quebec City, it may be easy to think that everyone in Quebec is fed up with COVID-19 restrictions. But the data tells us that this isn't actually true.