Quebec prepping for next step
The economy doesn’t turn on a dime, at least not when anyone wants it to, so Quebec Premier Francois Legault said the government is getting its ducks in a row for the restart of the economy.
While some businesses may be given the green light to re-open in the coming weeks, Legault said social distancing measures will remain in effect for months.
It’s not as easy as it seems, the premier explained. There is the question of daycare for people who go back to work, and safety for those using public transportation. Legault said the province is looking at ways businesses could be more flexible with their hours to prevent overcrowding during rush hour.
“But we have to be prudent,” Legault said. “Numbers must continue to stabilize.”
On that front, Legault said the projections made about the peak of infection were promising.
Worst case scenario suggested Quebec would need 1,000 intensive care beds with respirators, something the system can manage, Legault said.
He added that based on the progression of the rate of infection, Quebec’s numbers are similar to European countries that had some of the lowest death rates, like Germany. The number of people in Quebec who tested positive for COVID-19 is now 10, 031. Of those, 597 are in the Estrie region.
The death toll in the province is 175, up 25 from the day before.
There are people in 632 hospital because of the coronavirus, 181 of which are in intensive care, an increase of 17 in the past day.
According to the Quebec Public Health Institute website, there are 827 confirmed recoveries from COVID-19, up 107 from the day before.
The COVID-19 pandemic, which put the province on hold, also put a major kink in the agriculture supply chain leaving farmers holding the bag (of milk).
The sudden dramatic drop in demand from the restaurant and hotel industry has left some dairy farmers no choice but to dump milk down the drain.
“Today they took it,” explained local dairy producer Shane Coates during an interview earlier this week.
But last week, the driver of the truck that normally picks up the milk from Coates recorded the amount listed on the tank, and then opened the valve.
Over 10, 000 litres poured down the drain, Coates said.
Like every other dairy farmer in Canada, Coates’ production is controlled by the country’s supply management system. Coates owns quota, basically the right to produce a specific amount of milk, to answer the demand for dairy products.