Quebecers who have been fully vaccinated can go without masks in private indoor settings, the government announced today, as long as the others in the room have also had two shots. The rules for indoor and outdoor gatherings will be further relaxed this coming week. The numbers of people who can attend funerals and weddings will also be increased as the province enters the “green” zone.
Quebec is now showing few new cases of Covid-19 (88 new cases with 135 citizens hospitalized in the province) but public health officials, such as Dr. Theresa Tam at the federal level, stress that we must remain vigilant and continue to follow protective measures due to the Delta variant of the Covid-19 virus. There have been outbreaks here and there including in the UK and Australia.
The Montreal Canadians have won a spot in the Stanley Cup finals, and many fans want permission from The Quebec Public Health Department to attend games at the Bell Centre. Unfortunately this is probably not going to happen. The City of Montreal will announce places where people can gather safely outdoors to watch the games following the new criteria of 3,500 people for an outdoor event.
The vaccine rollout continues to go smoothly. Over 80% of Quebecers over 12 years of age have received one dose, while 23% have received 2 shots. Many second shots will be delivered in the month of July. The economy and businesses are reopening as vaccination levels rise. However many people remain cautious about going out and about.
Some services for seniors are still hard to come by. Medical offices are often closed and accepting telephone consults only. We are anxiously awaiting their reopening so that we can get our home care & living assistance clients in for personal physical exams. Our physicians have not seen their patients in person for nearly two years. Amongst other things our clients have lost physical strength due to inactivity during the pandemic. They became anxious and suffered from isolation and loneliness. The re-entry into “life after Covid” will need to be taken slowly and with care.