Schools and daycares ordered closed for two weeks
‘We are doing this to avoid the worst from happening,’ Legault says
QUEBEC CITY In another sign Quebec is grinding to a halt, daycares, elementary and high schools, CEGEPS and universities will be closed for the next two weeks as Quebec steps up its battle against the novel coronavirus.
Premier François Legault made the announcement — which affects about one million students and teachers in 3,200 public and private establishments — at a news conference Friday updating Quebecers on the evolution of the COVID -19 situation.
Legault said he knows that the closing will be an inconvenience for some parents, but said it has to be done to slow as much as possible the spread of COVID-19. Quebec, nevertheless, considers the situation stable with 17 confirmed cases.
“I know this will be a headache for parents, but it is our responsibility, the challenge for the next two weeks, to ensure the fewest number of cases possible,” Legault said at a news conference held at the legislature.
Daycare workers will be asked to continue to offer services to parents who must work to provide essential services, such as in health or ambulance services, Legault said.
Both the public and private daycare networks — a total of 305,800 spots — are affected. The anticipated date for reopening everything is March 30 but the shutdown could also be renewed should the situation require.
Legault appealed to parents and friends to lend a hand to parents who might need help caring for their children. He also urged employers to show tolerance, adding other measures will be announced Monday to financially compensate companies for absent employees or those in voluntary isolation because they are returning from March break holidays.
And setting the tone for what will be a daily encounter with the media where he can speak to Quebecers living through the COVID-19 crisis, Legault again made an appeal for calm and solidarity. Thus far, he said he is “very proud” of the reaction of citizens.
“I want to tell Quebecers that yes, I fully realize that I am asking a lot of you,” Legault said. “But we are doing this to avoid the worst from happening.
“Let’s keep at it, roll up our sleeves together and I am convinced we will get through this.”
Legault and key ministers will also be working through the weekend with the premier planning daily media briefings.
Addressing reports of panicky citizens lining up at grocery stores and cleaning the shelves of items such as toilet paper, Legault said such behaviour is not necessary.
He said the truckers who supply stores are hard at work.
“We do not foresee any food shortages,” Legault said, noting truck and airline and ship personnel are exempt from the call for voluntary isolation. “I am telling people, don’t worry about food. Right now all trucks are delivering goods.”
On hand for the announcement, Education Minister Jean-françois Roberge said he does not expect the extended holiday for students and teachers to affect the academic calendar.
Asked about the change of heart over school closures — Quebec had held off closing them until now — Horacio Arruda, Quebec’s director of public health, said the decision is related to the recent return of many students from March break.
“The cases (of COVID -19) which have returned, which we have seen recently, are cases of people who travelled in certain countries during March break,” Arruda said.
“We want to avoid (the virus) being introduced because there has been an increase in travel by parents (in that period).”
He stressed he does not believe children are more at risk. So far, there are no cases of a child dying as a result of exposure to the virus — even in China where the outbreak began, Arruda said.
But Legault nevertheless repeated he wants tighter border controls and said he intends to ask Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to limit the number of visitors to Canada when the premiers discuss with Trudeau later Friday.
That meeting was to be held by conference call because Trudeau has isolated himself in his Ottawa home after his wife Sophie Grégoire tested positive for COVID-19.
Legault said there is an “incoherence” in the fact Quebecers are being asked to voluntarily isolate themselves but visitors do not have to.
He called on Trudeau to “rapidly limit the admission of visitors to Canada.”
Canada’s chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, said Friday that Canadians should cancel all non-essential travel outside the country.
The Legault government also moved to deal with a flood of complaints about its telephone hotline Info-santé 811. Normally the line receives on average about 6,000 calls a day. That number has nearly doubled to 11,200, creating long waits.
Legault said people with questions about COVID -19 need to stop calling 811 and should call the other general information health line, 1-877-644-4545.
Health Minister Danielle Mccann said problems with congestion on the 811 line will be corrected, with 88 more nurses being added to answer calls.
“I want to reassure the population, this is a problem we will fix very rapidly,” Mccann said. “I am personally following up on this.”
Quebec also announced plans to open 12 new clinics across the province to screen people for COVID-19. Once 15 are up and running, the province believes it will be able to conduct between 300 and 400 tests a day.
The government’s decision to close daycares and schools comes a day after the government hesitated to do so. Ontario announced a day earlier it has closed schools until April 5.
Dozens of school boards and schools went ahead Thursday and announced their own closings for Friday.
Quebec has four new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to 17.
But there was no decision on suspending work at the legislature, which has nevertheless banned visitors and stepped up hygiene protocols. Workers were seen disinfecting bathrooms and even doorknobs.
In Ottawa, the House of Commons has been recessed until April 20 to prevent further exposure to the virus.
Legault noted with 125 MNAS, the National Assembly does not fall into the category of indoor venues with more than 250 people. The government announced Thursday all such events have been cancelled.
The commons has 338 federal MPS.