Less than a week after announcing the return of the Outaouais to the red zone and specific measures for Gatineau and the MRC des Collines-de-l’Outaouais, the government of Quebec has decided to tighten the screw again in order to slow the rapid progression of variants in Quebec.
In the red zone, indoor sports activities will now be limited to individual sports, in pairs or in pairs.family bubble
, and only swimming pools, ice rinks and places to play tennis and badminton may remain open.
The government specifies that public health will henceforth lead faster interventions to close places of transmission of the virus, as well as those where sanitary rules are not respected
.
Public health directors in each region were instructed to quickly shut down areas where the rules were not being followed. Those in charge of businesses and companies must understand that the variant is very dangerous. If you don’t enforce the rules, you risk getting shut down
, warned the Prime Minister, in a press release.
For their part, places of worship will only be able to accommodate 25 people, in the red zone.
Curfew maintained at 9:30 p.m. for the moment
On the other hand, in the red zone, the curfew will be maintained from 9:30 p.m. to 5 a.m., even if the government does not rule out reducing it to 8 p.m. depending on the pandemic situation.
It should be remembered that these are temporary measures and that the rate of vaccination continues to accelerate in order to protect the population
, recalled the Minister of Health and Social Services, Christian Dubé, in the press release published on Tuesday.
The government also prohibits all residents of the orange and red zones from moving to a yellow tier region.
I ask you to make an effort still and not to receive visitors in the houses. I know we can’t wait to see family and friends. Take advantage of the good weather, see yourself outside and keep your distance. The variant attacks everyone, including the youngest. be careful
, asked Mr. Legault.
These new measures will come into force on Thursday at 12:01 a.m.
The prefect of the MRC de Papineau, Benoit Lauzon (archives)
Photo: Radio-Canada / Simon Lasalle
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The prefect of the MRC de Papineau, Benoit Lauzon, takes a positive view of these decisions.
These are responsible decisions that have been taken tonight on the part of the government. We see little decrease in the number of cases at the moment and it is important to lower the numbers, because that puts pressure on hospital services in our territory.
, he reacted in an interview.
These are measures the government had to take. We will ensure that the entire population respects them.
However, Mr. Lauzon believes that the best measure is vaccination.
The only thing we can do now to fight the virus is vaccination. It is absolutely essential to ensure that the Outaouais region receives the vaccines necessary to speed up vaccination. No matter what measures we are going to put in place, it is really the vaccination that will help us
, he insisted.
Return of the school-house alternation
Among the other measures announced, the government has also decided to restore alternation every other day for students of 3e, 4e and 5e secondary from April 12, in the red zone. Extracurricular activities will also be put on hiatus.
It is a compromise that reduces the risks, without affecting too much academic success and the lives of adolescents.
, wanted to explain the Prime Minister.
Suzanne Tremblay is the president of the Outaouais Teaching Union (archives).
Photo: Radio-Canada
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For the president of the Outaouais Teaching Union (SEO), Suzanne Tremblay, this is a good decision.
Many teachers have contacted us. They are very worried about the situation in the schools. There have already been several cases, and even outbreaks in some establishments. So all the measures that will protect teachers, and therefore also students, are good. Alternation will allow the number of students to be reduced, which is a good measure. But we should not hesitate to put others in place, and to ensure better screening in schools.
, she says.
The president of the SEO indicates that the announcement of the date on which teachers can receive the vaccine is also being watched very carefully.
We want to keep schools open, and the best way is vaccination
, thinks Mrs. Tremblay.
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