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

• On Wednesday, Quebec reported 1,073people in hospital (a decrease of nine from the previous day), including 56in intensive care (a decrease of 10 fromthe previous day).
• The province reported 1,380new cases of COVID-19 and 11 deaths.
• Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 939,650confirmed cases, and 14,213people have died.
• The province also reported Wednesday a total of18,537,394doses of COVID-19 vaccines administered, including4,462doses in the last 24 hours.
• 91 per cent of the eligible population in the province (agedfive and up) have received one dose of the vaccine;87per cent have received two doses, and 52 per cent have received three doses.

*The new cases are 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's Health Ministry announced it will no longerreport itsCOVID-19 numberson the weekend.

Quebec Health Minister Christian Dub tabled a bill in the National Assembly Wednesdaymorningwhich, onceadopted, will liftthe pandemic state of emergency while stillallowing the government to retain some powers, notablyto manage the health-care system,through to the end of 2022.

The bill comes as the government has alreadyrelaxed most pandemic restrictionsand has announced its intention to drop mask requirements in public places by mid-April, and on public transit in May.

The state of emergency, declared on March 13, 2020 under the Public Health Act, gave the government the ability to take any "measure necessary to protect the health of the population" without having to follow standard procedures.

For the past two years,the decree has given the Quebec government special powers to manage the COVID-19 crisis, including issuing contracts without a call for tenders, limiting travel, decreeingthe working conditions of health employeesand other measures deemed necessary to protect the population.

Doubled workload for part-time nurses

Quebec signed a new contract with its nurses last fall, which was designed to reduce forced overtime and address staff shortages.

But some part-time nurses say they're victims of the new contract, which will soon force them to double their workload.

The measure has some nurses CBC spoke with considering leaving the public system or quitting nursing altogether.

Concerns about 6th wave

Most Quebecers are comfortable seeing public health measures eased, a new poll shows, but experts are concernedanupward trend in COVID-19 cases in Europe could signify a sixth wave is on its way here.

Canadian cases have tended to follow the pattern of the pandemic in Europe, which is now seeing an increase in the contagious Omicronsubvariant, known as BA.2. Cases are starting to spike in the U.K., the Netherlands and Germany.

This past weekend, Quebec halted the use of vaccine passports, and the province aims to lift mask mandates in public spaces by mid-April.

Cte Saint-Luc mask policy

The city of Cte Saint-Luc in west-end Montreal wants to keep the mask mandate in place for some municipal buildings, even after the province removes the requirement.

Cte Saint-Luc Mayor Mitchell Brownstein says he'd like the city to adopt a policy to keep the mask requirement for municipal buildings, includinglibraries and community centres.He says officials will discuss the issue over the next few weeks.

WATCH| 'We're doing better' but 'it's still not over' says Montreal microbiologist:

Where Quebec stands now, two years into the COVID-19 pandemic

3 years ago

Duration 4:39

Dr. Ccile Tremblay, infectious diseases specialist at the CHUM hospital says while the COVID-19 situation in the province has improved, the province needs better access to testing and anti-viral medication, to help prepare for future waves.

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