Legault pleads for more discipline
Too many people closer than two metres and fewer wearing masks, premier says
Premier François Legault has warned Quebecers that they need to show more discipline as the deconfinement process continues, and to get tested if they think they are infected with COVID-19.
“Unfortunately, we are seeing — especially in Montreal — fewer people wearing masks, too many people who are closer than two metres,” Legault said at his pandemic briefing on Thursday.
“We’re going in the right direction, but we don’t want to backtrack. We must keep our discipline.”
Legault made the comments while announcing the province has made another deconfinement decision, authorizing the resumption of supervised outdoor sporting activities such as baseball, soccer and street hockey.
Activities will resume gradually. As of Monday, teams will be allowed to start outdoor training sessions. If all goes well, there may be some actual games by the end of the month, but that will require the approval of public health.
“The sports will be different from the past, because we have some measures to respect,” said Isabelle Charest, a former Olympic athlete who is now minister responsible for sports.
“It’s the two-metre distancing and cleaning the ball before we start and after, and all that. I’m pretty confident, seeing the way kids have been reacting to starting school and how they comply with the measures.”
She said it is up to sporting organizations to prepare the actual protocols to be used for each sport. The rules will not require athletes to wear masks, but dressing rooms will remain closed.
Charest also announced that privately owned swimming pools, such as the ones found at campgrounds, will be allowed to reopen Monday. Supervised outdoor activities such as yoga classes and guided outings are also authorized.
The next big step will be reopening restaurants. An announcement on that is expected Monday.
Legault faced new questions about the government’s handling of the pandemic, starting with its decision to launch a training program for CHSLD orderlies. The response has been overwhelming, with Legault reporting the number of candidates vying for the 10,000 spots has hit 80,000.
Legault downplayed the collateral effects of the program, which will pay trainees $21 an hour. Private residences have complained that they fear an exodus of their workers, who earn about $14 an hour on average.
Legault insisted the new recruitment campaign is not draining workers away, noting workers in the private sector who wanted to make the jump probably have done so already.
“The people we’re going to get are people who have no training,” Legault said. “This (program) will create 10,000 trained people on top of that.”
He added Treasury Board president Christian Dubé is looking into ways to level the playing field between the private and public system, which could involve Quebec subsidizing smaller private residences in the short term.
Legault also took a moment during his news conference to address the serious technological flaws in Quebec’s health-care system. In May the Montreal Gazette revealed that the fax machine was still a key tool to transmit crucial information on COVID-19 cases and fatalities in Montreal.
“Just to illustrate how the system is archaic, my sons don’t even know what faxes are,” Legault said, adding chronic underfunding has kept the system in the stone age.
There was evidence of the flaws again on Thursday: of the 91 new deaths announced, only 26 occurred in the previous 24 hours. The other 65 were from April and May.
Legault said the province plans to step up its game. The key reporting system should be computerized in about a week.
Legault said while he is pleased that the number of COVID -19 hospitalizations continues to drop, he was disappointed Quebec managed only 12,500 tests Wednesday when the target is 14,000 a day.
“I am launching an appeal,” he said. “Anyone who has doubts, who got too close to someone or has any doubts whatsoever, go get tested. It’s important.”
With the legislature sitting, Legault also defended his government’s decision to table legislation — Bill 61 — designed to jump-start the economy by eliminating red tape.
Environmental groups and the opposition parties have accused the Coalition Avenir Québec government of trying to steamroll them for its own political reasons. In the house Thursday, Liberal house leader Marc Tanguay accused Legault of trying to haul Quebec back to the Duplessis era.
“The objective is not to reduce the requirements — it is to shorten the timetable for things to happen,” Legault said.
I’m pretty confident, seeing the way kids have been reacting to starting school and how they comply with the measures.