Like an army in ‘the fight of our lives,’ Legault says
With three new COVID-19 deaths and three seniors’ residences infected, Premier François Legault on Wednesday took a military stance, telling Quebecers they are like an army in the fight of their lives against the coronavirus.
Quebec leads the country in confirmed cases, but the premier and public health director Horacio Arruda said they fully expected to see the higher numbers because testing here is now in full swing.
Since Tuesday, the pandemic entered a second phase and now anyone experiencing symptoms can ask to be tested, Arruda said. To date, Quebec has conducted 30,000 tests, with 26,634 negative results and 2,998 pending.
“With 26,634 negative tests we are ahead of the per capita Canadian average,” Legault said at his daily briefing. “So it’s a big increase in the number of tests and results. All things considered it’s an encouraging ratio.”
Legault added the level of hospitalizations in Quebec remains low as do the number of patients in intensive care.
“It’s a backlog,” Arruda said, adding Quebec previously waited for confirmation of test results from a Winnipeg lab before adjusting the tally and did not include probable cases.
“People had the impression we were testing much less than elsewhere. In fact, we were testing a lot but we didn’t know (the results) at the central level.”
Legault revealed the number of COVID-19 cases in Quebec continues to climb — to 1,339 on Wednesday from 1,013 the day before.
In Montreal, the number went from 265 on Monday to 603 on Wednesday.
Legault said during his daily briefing that two more people had died of COVID -19 in the province, for a total of six. Dr. Mylène Drouin confirmed at a late-afternoon news conference that an elderly Montrealer had died, bringing the total in the province to seven, including the first in Montreal.
Legault said there are 78 people in hospital, including 35 in intensive care.
Sixty per cent of the positive cases are people who have recently travelled.
Legault expressed alarm there are now outbreaks at three seniors’ residences — one each in the Lanaudière region, Montreal and Eastern Townships.
“That’s where the greatest risk is,” Legault noted.
He said he understands people want to visit their parents in seniors’ homes, but it cannot be allowed if the elderly are to be protected.
The two new deaths that Legault reported were elderly persons, one of whom had recently travelled outside the country, Arruda said. Both lived outside the Montreal area but were not in seniors’ residences.
Legault, nevertheless, made it a point of speaking directly to snowbirds — Quebecers who are returning home from Florida and other southern destinations, saying: “You are at risk. Stay home for two weeks.”
That means not even going out for a walk, he specified, adding: “Please stay inside.”
Legault and Health Minister Danielle Mccann responded to complaints from Quebec’s nursing union that there is a shortage of masks and gloves and that they are forced to take gowns home to wash them themselves.
“People are used to having masks at their fingertips but there have been thefts in certain areas and we have had to lock them up,” Mccann said. “That does not mean they are not available.”
Legault acknowledged there have been distribution issues that are being fixed.
The premier tried to offer some reassurance to people worried about being able to pay their rent on April 1, asking landlords to show leniency for people who’ve lost their jobs. Many won’t start seeing their federal employment insurance cheques until April 6.
As for the shutdown of non-essential businesses that went into effect early Wednesday, Legault said it will remain in place until April 13 — at which point a decision will be made about whether the shutdown can be eased.
“We’ll look at the curve,” Legault said. “Did we flatten it? Did we reach a plateau? If there is still a very big risk, we’ll have to continue.”
Legault stepped up his efforts to raise morale in a locked-down Quebec, borrowing military imagery to make his point.
“We are like an army of 8.5 million fighting the virus,” he said. “It will likely be the fight of our lives. Our children and grandchildren will remember how we won this battle. Let’s make them proud.”
Legault, who has not taken a break from work in three weeks, said he will take a day off Saturday and be replaced for the daily briefing by deputy-premier Geneviève Guilbault.
We’ll look at the curve. Did we flatten it? Did we reach a plateau? If there is still a very big risk, we’ll have to continue.