Quebec Public Health recommends masks until at least May 14, situation to be re-evaluated

Quebec Public Health is recommending the mask mandate for public spaces stay in place until at least May 14 and that it will be reevaluated next week depending on the epidemiological situation. But that for hospitals, long-term care homes, public transit, and those who test positive for COVID – the masks will continue.

Interim public health director, Dr. Luc Boileau, made the announcement at a press conference Thursday afternoon. Adding that he’s not ready to call May 14 the definitive end date for public spaces just yet. That “we need to be prudent,” but that “in this moment, we see nothing that could derail the date to end the mandate.”

He said that the peak of the sixth wave seems to be behind us, that we are in more of a plateau. “But the activity of the virus is still strong in the community. We observe that thousands and thousands of people that are infected on a daily basis, so we have to be still careful.”

“We think that by the beginning of next week we should be comfortable enough to suggest to the government to release the wearing of the obligation of wearing the mask in public spaces for the middle of May.”

“This is where vaccination comes into the thought process. Vaccination, even if we are re-infected after two months, protects, and these re-infections rarely bring us to the hospital. Vaccination is very good to protect us from severe disease. So we are at a crossroads, where we have to choose going back and living with the virus,” said Dr. Jean Longtin, a microbiologist with the Quebec Health Ministry.

The provincial health department reported on Thursday that 2,326 patients were in hospital with COVID-19, a decline of 46 from the day before. That included 85 people in intensive care, down by seven. As well as 23 deaths added.

Quebec’s health research institute, l’institut national d’excellence en santé et en services sociaux (INESSS), released new projections on Wednesday showing a likely decline in COVID-related hospitalizations over the next two weeks. And that they already dropped by five per cent April 15 to 22. The number of patients in ICU is also expected to drop.