A WARNING FOR PARTYGOERS.
OTTAWA • Singing and dancing in close quarters is not the way to party this summer, Canada’s deputy public health officer said Friday.
Dr. Howard Njoo urged younger people to stop jamming bars and dance floors, to stop the spread of COVID-19. He offered that view after images of crammed bars in Montreal and a spike in new cases accompanied the reopening of Quebec bars and nightclubs this past week.
Njoo said there is “cause for some concern” because new COVID-19 cases are starting to rise after a steady period of decline. He said there have been 350 cases per day nationally over the last week compared to an average daily case count of around 300 in early July.
On Thursday, more than 430 cases were reported, he said.
“This coincides with increasing reports of individuals contracting COVID-19 at parties, nightclubs and bars as well as increasing rates of transmission among young Canadians in some jurisdictions across the country,” said Njoo.
“I encourage everyone, especially young adults, to find creative ways to stay socially active in the time of COVID-19. Singing, mingling and dancing in close contact with others in closed spaces, in crowded places, is not the way to party this summer.”
Njoo said indoor activities carry a higher risk to spread COVID-19 and that can have serious health consequences, even for young people.
However, Quebec Premier François Legault said Friday the recent resurgence of COVID-19 cases in the province is due to private gatherings rather than bar visits. That came a day after Legault said he was seeking a recommendation about whether to close bars and nightclubs following a recent string of outbreaks in the Montreal area linked to those venues.
Njoo said younger Canadians have a duty to act responsibly to keep COVID-19 from spreading to older people, including their parents and grandparents.
“We are all in this together, and have a shared responsibility to help keep COVID-19 transmission low.”
Ontario announced new rules starting Friday that allow restaurants outside of the Greater Toronto Area to resume indoor service, as well as businesses such as bars, gyms and theatres to start welcoming patrons again.