In his first press conference appearance in weeks, Health Minister Christian Dubé firmly recommended that Quebecers get up-to-date vaccinations as COVID-19 hospitalizations rise, again.
Interim National Public Health Director Dr. Luc Boileau will hold an 11 a.m. Quebec press conference Wednesday and is expected to confirm an end date for the province's mask mandate at least in most spaces. Multiple outlets report that Boileau is sticking to the May 14 deadline he tentatively set on April 28.
The Quebec mask mandate is projected to end in most enclosed public spaces on May 14, Interim National Public Health Director Dr. Luc Boileau said at a Thursday press conference. He cautioned, however, that officials would not confirm an end date for face-covering rules until next week when, he said, they would have a better sense of the direction of the COVID-19 situation as the sixth wave winds down.It will have been almost two years since the mask mandate took effect.
The government is updating its Quebec COVID-19 rapid test guide to encourage residents to insert the test swabs in their mouths, as well as their noses to increase the chances of an accurate test result. As of Friday, the French-language rapid test user guide already includes the optional extra step.
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.