Regional mayors seek easing of limits

COVID rates lower outside Montreal, leaders argue

The Quebec government came under pressure Monday to ease lockdown restrictions, from the opposition who called for the homeless to be curfew-exempt, to regional mayors who said the rules are unjustified in their towns.

Mayors in less-populated parts of the province where COVID-19 infection rates are low said health authorities should ease restrictions after they are set to expire Feb. 8.

Marc Parent, the mayor of Rimouski, said his region shouldn't be treated like Montreal, which reports hundreds of new cases every day. Rimouski, by contrast, located about 540 kilometres northeast of Montreal, reported a single new case on Sunday, he said.

“When you look at the lower St-lawrence, the Gaspé and the North Shore, we are in the neighbourhood of about 10 cases per 100,000 residents,” Parent said in an interview Monday. He said residents are looking for health orders to reflect the COVID situation in their region.

Rejean Porlier, mayor of Septiles, said he's had conversations with Quebec's director of public health, Dr. Horacio Arruda, about identifying thresholds that would trigger certain extra measures as needed.

“That's what was behind the colour-coded system in the beginning, but we're in a completely different place now: it's oatmeal for everyone,” Porlier said.

He said curfews and restaurant closures don't make sense in Sept-iles, which reported zero new COVID-19 cases on Sunday and five cases last week.

Also on Monday, opposition parties joined community groups to demand the government exempt the homeless from the provincewide curfew.

Meanwhile, lawyers argued in Quebec Superior Court that the curfew violates homeless people's charter rights to safety and security and to be protected against cruel and unusual punishment or treatment. The judge hearing the case is expected to rule later in the week.

New data indicates the daily infection rate and number of hospitalizations are trending downward. Quebec has reported a drop in hospitalizations for the past six reporting periods, representing 179 fewer patients in hospital.

Health officials reported 1,203 new cases of COVID -19 Monday and 43 more deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus. The health department said hospitalizations dropped by six, to 1,321, and 217 patients were in intensive care, a decrease of two.

Fewer hospitalizations in recent days are starting to impact hospitalizations, Health Minister Christian Dubé said, calling the data “encouraging.”