Quebec premier expected to update province as COVID-19 cases continue to surge
Posted December 22, 2021 11:08 am.
Premier Francois Legault is expected to address the province later today and may announce new restrictions as COVID-19 cases continue to surge in Quebec.
The province reported a record number of new COVID-19 infections for the third straight day Tuesday, with 5,043 new cases.
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Legault wrote on Twitter Tuesday afternoon that Quebec faces “very difficult choices.”
Comme dans beaucoup d’endroits dans le monde, le Québec est confronté à des choix très difficiles.
Ce qui nous guide, c’est la capacité qu’on aura ou non de soigner les Québécois malades dans les prochaines semaines. On vous revient demain avec nos décisions.— François Legault (@francoislegault) December 21, 2021
Health Minister Christian Dube announced new restrictions Monday, shutting bars, gyms and schools, and warned that further restrictions could be coming once the government had received new projections on the spread of the virus and its impact on hospitalizations.
Quebec’s public health institute said Tuesday that the more-transmissible Omicron variant now accounts for around 80 per cent of new infections in the province.
Quebec has asked the federal government to provide military support as it attempts to increase the pace of administering third doses of COVID-19 vaccines.
Late Tuesday, Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair said the rising case counts in Quebec are deeply concerning and the federal government will work with the province.
CityNews will stream the news conference on our website, and air it live on television at 6:00 p.m.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 22, 2021.
