Study estimates Quebec recorded up to 32,000 new daily COVID-19 infections last week

There have been between 18,000 and 32,000 new COVID-19 infections per day final week throughout Quebec, in line with an estimate launched Friday by a Montreal-based analysis centre.

The outcomes of the examine by CIRANO ought to make Quebecers take the sixth wave of the pandemic critically, Roxane Borges Da Silva, a professor at Université de Montréal’s college of public well being who labored on the analysis, stated in an interview.

The Quebec authorities, she added, ought to strengthen its messaging on COVID-19 and rethink its plan to raise masks mandates in mid-April.

“It is a very vital rise — non-negligible and worrisome — particularly for individuals who are susceptible to COVID and to well being employees,” she stated.

Late Monday, the premier appeared to be leaning in that course, telling reporters “in fact we’ve to proceed to watch out.”

François Legault stated instances have elevated over the previous few weeks and the federal government is reconsidering its plan to raise masks mandates subsequent Friday.

“I’ve a gathering with public well being consultants tonight and we could lengthen carrying the masks for a few weeks after April 15.”

The precise case counts offered within the examine, which seemed on the interval from March 24-29, are tough to verify, Borges Da Silva stated, however the tendency is evident: the info signifies an increase in instances of between 20 per cent and 40 per cent over the earlier week.

The analysis centre, which consists of teachers from numerous universities, surveys 3,000 folks per week to ask in the event that they’ve obtained a optimistic COVID-19 outcome.

Borges Da Silva stated she worries the leap in instances might have an effect on the health-care system.

“Even when it is 0.001 per cent of people that find yourself in hospital out of 20,000 instances, it is nonetheless lots of people,” she stated.

On Friday, the Quebec authorities stated there have been greater than 11,000 well being employees off the job on account of COVID-19, up from the 8,600 introduced throughout a authorities information convention on Sunday.

“The shortage of (labour) and the numerous enhance within the variety of health-care employees who’ve contracted COVID in current weeks are affecting the supply of care,” the Well being Ministry stated in an e-mail.

No plans to reimpose restrictions

Quebec Well being Minister Christian Dubé has stated the province isn’t planning to reimpose public well being restrictions. The leap in instances was anticipated, Dubé stated final Thursday, including that Quebecers should be taught to handle their very own danger.

Borges Da Silva stated the federal government is probably going not contemplating new restrictions as a result of it is aware of extra concerning the Omicron mutation than it did through the fifth wave within the winter, when it imposed a curfew and closed many companies.

She stated different causes embrace the actual fact extra Quebecers are vaccinated now in contrast with the winter and that European international locations have not seen huge surges of sufferers in hospitals. 

Over 90 per cent of the eligible inhabitants (age 5 and up) have obtained one dose of the vaccine, whereas 87 per cent have obtained two doses. Solely 53 per cent have obtained three doses.

“They’re additionally considering that it has been two years that we have been in a pandemic and that there are an unlimited quantity of (financial) sectors which have suffered,” she stated.

As a public well being professional who additionally considers the psychological well being side of restrictions, she says she understands the necessity to keep away from extra closures.

She says, nonetheless, the federal government has gone “from one excessive to a different” and hasn’t achieved sufficient to induce folks to watch out, to isolate on the first signal of signs and to hunt booster photographs.

“The masks is a measure that’s cheap, not very restrictive, however very efficient,” she stated. “But when we take it off, we’ll have hassle bringing it again.”

Dubé introduced on Friday that pharmacists at the moment are be capable to prescribe the antiviral drug Paxlovid to COVID-19-positive sufferers who’re susceptible to creating problems, in an try to assist cut back hospitalizations and deaths among the many most susceptible.