Quebec premier says he may reconsider easing gathering limits as COVID-19 cases rise

Quebec Premier Francois Legault said Wednesday his government may reconsider its decision to ease indoor gathering limits for the holidays because of the high numbers of new daily COVID-19 cases.

Health officials reported 2,386 new infections Wednesday and a test positivity rate of 5.8 per cent.

“With 2,300 cases, it wouldn’t be responsible to not look at all possibilities,” Legault told reporters in Quebec City. “But we have to keep measures that will have an impact on hospitalizations.”

COVID-19-related hospitalizations rose by 16 from the day before, to 309, after 37 people were admitted to hospital and 21 people were discharged. The number of patients in intensive care dropped by two, to 73.

Legault said that for now, he would stick with his decision increase indoor gathering limits on Dec. 23 to 20 people from 10, because the number of COVID-19-related hospitalizations was manageable and within the health system’s 800-bed capacity.

The premier said health experts in the province are still unclear about what impact the Omicron variant will have on hospitalizations. Quebec’s public health institute has confirmed 11 cases of that variant in the province and said Wednesday that 24 suspected cases were under investigation – a rise of 13 from the day before.

Legault said he and other premiers spoke Tuesday evening with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who proposed tightening border controls and increasing COVID-19 testing at airports. The Quebec premier said that while he’s favourable to increased restrictions, airport testing must be done by federal workers because Quebec can’t afford to move health-care staff away from the vaccination campaign.

Health officials in Montreal, where cases of community transmission of the Omicron variant have been reported, are scheduled to provide an update Wednesday afternoon.

The city’s public health director, Dr. Mylene Drouin, said on Twitter Wednesday that the rise in cases “will require new individual and collective efforts from us. Yes, our resilience will be tested once again.”