Slowly loosening restrictions over next month is correct approach: infectious disease specialist

While some Canadian provinces have moved to quickly eliminate COVID-19 restrictions such as mask mandates and vaccine passports, an infectious disease specialist believes Quebec’s more cautious approach is the right way to go.

Quebec has opted to gradually reduce its pandemic restrictions over the course of the next month as opposed to removing them all at once. And Quebec’s plan doesn’t include an end to mask mandates or the vaccine passport system.

That’s a stark contrast to other provinces like Alberta and Saskatchewan, where mandates are being lifted much more rapidly.

Dr. Donald Vinh, a medical microbiologist and infectious disease specialist, believes Quebec’s approach is the right one.

“We are not well and we are not back to baseline, we need to make that clear. But we are improving,” said Vinh. “For those reasons, you can envision the deconfinement that was proposed over the next month – not over the next 24 hours, but happening over the next month – could be a reasonable plan as long as they are attached to those metrics.”

Gyms and spas are set to reopen Feb. 14 with 50 per cent capacity limits and the vaccine passport.

By Feb. 21, entertainment and sports venues can open at 50 per cent capacity and fully reopen with no limits on Feb. 28. The Bell Centre, home of the Montreal Canadiens, can reopen fully on March 14.

Bars and casinos will reopen as of Feb. 28 at half capacity and increase to full capacity by mid-March, along with restaurants. Karaoke and dancing inside bars and restaurants will also be permitted once again as of mid-March.

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Quebec’s interim public health director, Dr. Luc Boileau, believes the tapered approach to reopening will prove to be successful

“I do not think it’s too soon,” he said. “Otherwise we would not have proposed it to the premier and the minister of health.

“We’ll see then if it’s still a lever that has all the efficacy that it has had in the last few months, and particularly in that period. We’ll look at it from different angles but mostly will be related to the epidemiological situation.”

Since the beginning of the fifth wave in December, public health estimates up to 2.5 million Quebecers were infected with COVID.

Hospitalizations have been steadily decreasing with just over 2,300 COVID patients in hospital, but Quebec says an increase is expected as the province reopens.

“What we don’t want to do is threaten our health-care system surge capacity as we just saw, and by the way, as we’re still in,” said Vinh.

Quebecers returning to the office

Also on Feb. 28, working from home will no longer be mandatory, meaning thousands of workers will be returning to their offices.

That will be a boon for business, says Glenn Castanheira, the executive director of Montréal centre-ville. Montreal’s downtown core had 300,000 office workers in the area pre-pandemic.

“Montreal is one of the last cities in the world to deconfine or to not have a clear plan to reopening,” Castanheira said. “So there was a real risk for us to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in events. And of course for business to struggle much harder than it would’ve been last year.”

READ: Lifting restrictions could cause anxiety for many as unknowns persist: experts

The imminent return to in-person work is also expected to provide a boost for many Montrealers’ mental health.

“It’s such a good thing because people are obviously fed up,” said one Montrealer. “Alleviating some of the stress people feel because of those restrictions is really a good thing.”

Added another: “I’m supposed to be at an office. My boss is paying tons of money for rent while people are living in their homes. It’s making me crazy.”