As COVID surges, Quebec cancels Christmas plan
No festive gatherings for those living in red zones, Legault says
The Christmas break is off. Even though he said Tuesday he would wait until Dec. 11 to decide whether the province would allow the promised four days of Christmas gatherings, Premier François Legault broke the bad news to Quebecers early.
People living in red alert zones will not be allowed to have the festive gatherings he promised.
“With the numbers we have, it's unrealistic to think we will be able to change the situation in time for Christmas,” Legault said during a pandemic news conference Thursday afternoon.
“We need to protect our nurses and our elderly. I am announcing that gatherings in red zones won't be allowed for Christmas.”
The government said Nov. 19 that it hoped to be able to give Quebecers a much-needed reward for months of living with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Quebec families would have been allowed to hold gatherings of a maximum of 10 people between Dec. 24 and 27 as long as they quarantined themselves a week before the parties and the week after. At first the festive season was to be over four days, then it was trimmed to only two.
But the promise, which the premier tagged a moral contract, included a big “if ” — meaning a situation under control by that time.
It is not. Legault said hospitalizations are still rising — from 285 Oct. 1 to 737 Thursday — as is the death rate. On Nov. 1, Quebec reported 20 new deaths. Thursday the total was 30.
While the number of new cases in early November was about 1,300 a day, it is now up to a historic high of 1,500 a day. At this rate, certain hospitals could be overloaded during the holidays, Legault said.
Experts and even other premiers in Canada have warned gatherings were a bad idea.
On Thursday, Legault made a point of saying nobody wants to live with the thought of having infected a grandparent.
“The virus is in every region of Quebec, it's growing and it's dangerous,” Legault said, adding he knows many people will be disappointed.
“It will be a quiet Christmas,” he said. “We won't be able to receive people.”
He tried to spin toward the positive, noting family bubbles can celebrate. A person living alone is still allowed to visit another person living alone. That is especially important for the elderly who may be feeling alone.
“We can and we must visit them,” he said. “They need us more than ever. Of course, we have to keep our distances and wear a mask.”
He urged Quebecers to take advantage of the situation, having more naps, reading good books and talking to each other virtually or on the phone.
Legault stressed the decision was made by the government Wednesday evening and not at the request of public health, which had proposed waiting until Dec. 11.
He repeated he is counting on Quebecers to use their common sense and respect the rules because ignoring them in the current context is just dangerous.
He said based on the experience of the United States, the next three months “will be the worst of the pandemic.”
While Quebec “can't put a police officer in every home,” citizens who refuse to comply could face fines, he said.
Legault said he was ready to take his lumps when asked if it was a mistake to have opened the door to the possibility of gatherings in the first place.
“I am not perfect,” Legault said. “I'm trying to do my best. I don't have a crystal ball. At the time I proposed it I was sincerely convinced that it was possible. If I had to re-do it, I would not have opened the door to two days of gatherings.”
Legault specified citizens living in less critical zones will still have permission to gather. In yellow zones, 10 people can gather for Christmas. In orange zones, the limit is six. On the other hand, nearly all of Quebec is currently red.
Reaction was swift, with Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante saying while she is disappointed Christmas gatherings are off, she also understands the reasoning. She urged Montrealers to visit people who live alone.
“We should continue to buy gifts and put them on the doorstep or send them by mail, but let's try to keep the spirit alive, but in a different way,” she said.
Quebec's nurses and doctors all tweeted that cancelling the plan was the best gift the premier could have given them.