COVID-19 in Quebec: What you need to know Thursday

• On Thursday, Quebec reported 1,953people in hospital (an increase of 203 from the previous day),including 207in intensive care (an increase of 16).
• The provincereported 15,874 new cases ofCOVID-19and 26 new deaths.
• Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 696,182confirmed cases and11,846people have died.
• On Thursday, the province also reported a total of 15,399,427doses ofCOVID-19 vaccines administered, including95,350in the last 24 hours.
• 89per cent of the eligible population in the province (ages five and up) hasreceived one dose of vaccine, 82per cent havereceived two doses, and 20 per cent have received three doses.

The new cases represent those reported to the Quebec government only. They are believed to be an underrepresentation of the virus's spread, given the limited availability of PCR tests and use of home testing kits.

Quebec is expanding its mandatory vaccination passport system soQuebecerswill evenutally need three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine to getcertain services.

Health Minister Christian Dubconfirmed Thursday the vaccination passport will be mandatory to entertheSocit des alcools du Qubec(SAQ) and theSocit qubcoise du cannabis(SQDC) as ofJan. 18. It will also be required for certain non-essential services in the coming weeks.

Dubsaid hewould consult affected industries before announcing when the measures would come into effect for other stores.

"This is very difficult right now but we are doing all the measures to make sure that we'reminimizing the impact on our personnel, on our system, and we're going to go through this all together," he said.

Hospitalization projections

According to the province's health-care research institute, there could be more than 3,400 Quebecers in hospital with COVID-19 in two weeks.

The institute, known by its French acronym, INESSS, released its latest projections on Thursday.

At least 3,000 of those projected hospitalizations would be for regular beds, INESSS said in a statement, and at least 400 would be patients in the intensive care unit.

According to the latest government update, there were 1,953Quebecerswith COVID-19 occupying both regularhospital beds and those in the ICU as of Wednesday.

Eastern Townships hospitals stretched to the limit

The twoSherbrooke hospitals dedicated to COVID-19 patients in the Eastern Townships have hit full capacity and an overflow unit was set up at the Granby hospitalon Thursday. An operating block was converted to free up six beds for anyone from theBrome-Missisquoi and Memphremagogregions who has to be hospitalized because of the virus.

Sophie Sguin, president of theEastern Townships health-care professionals' union(SPSCE-FIQ), says around Christmasthe region moved to Level 4 triage, the highest alert level for hospitals, and has had to cancel more and more surgeries to free up staff.

Seguin says there are 1,300 health workers in the regionwho can't come to work because of COVID-19 and another 300 staff members are awaiting COVID-19 test results.

Rapid tests delivery

Quebecers can expect to be able to pick up COVID rapid tests at their local pharmaciesby early next week.

Ottawa confirmed it would deliver 31.5 million tests to Quebec by the end of January. About three million rapid tests arrived in the province Wednesday.

The province is currently reserving PCR tests for those in high-risk settings such as hospitals, long-term care homes, detention centres and homeless shelters.

Reopening schools

Quebec will distribute seven million rapid tests to preschools and elementary school students and staff, and says it's sticking to itsplan of reopening schools by Jan. 17.

Education MinisterJean-Franois Robergesaid he wants schools openas soon as possible because of the consequenceskeeping schools closed can have on children and their development.

The province has alsopromised to provide studentswith LTE sticks toplug into their computers if they don't have access tointernet at home, and said it will alsorampup the number ofcarbon dioxide detectors distributed to schools.

About 30 to 40 per cent of COVID hospitalizations are actually people who sought care for another reason and were found to be positive to COVID once at the hospital, Quebec Public Health Director Dr. Horacio Arruda said.

Isolation for double vaccinated cut to five days

Quebecerswith at least two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine who test positive will only have to isolate for five days.

The Quebec government made the announcement at a technical briefing Tuesday. Previously, all those who tested positive had to remain in isolation for 10days aftersymptoms began.

The person must also have spent 24 hours without a fever before coming out of isolation.For the followingfive days, the person must wear a mask and keep a distance of two metres from others.

If these conditions cannot be met, the 10-day isolation remains in effect.

The first day of isolation should begin following theonset of symptoms, the province says. For those who are asymptomatic, the first day of isolation begins once a positive test result is obtained.

Those with COVID-19 symptoms who can't obtain a test, whether it'sa PCRor rapid test, should presume they may be carrying the virus and still isolate as a precaution.

Children under 12will also be able to take advantage of the five-day isolation period.

Other provinceshavealso moved to reducethe period to five days, includingBritish Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and New Brunswick. The United States also only requires a five-day isolation.

Health-care workers in the province will also have their isolation period reduced, but only to seven days. In some cases, COVID-positive health care staff may still be called into work.

New rules for long-term care homes, residences

Quebec is tightening its measures aroundseniors residences and long-term care homes, or CHSLDs, in an effort to limit the spread of the virus.

Only those considered caregivers will be allowed to enter the facilities. In CHSLDs and intermediary services, it is limited to one person per resident per day. In private seniors residences, only one caregiver can go at a time, for a maximum of two people per resident per day.

The homes will be tasked with asking each resident to identifya maximum of four people to be considered caregivers in orderto limit the amount of people who have access to the home. A vaccine passport will be required, regardless of whether it isa private or public facility.

The Quebec government said the measures are to address a rise in care homes reporting outbreaks of 10 cases or more.

As of Jan. 2, there were 2,640 cases in long-term care, representing 521 homes, according to the health ministry.

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