Quebec Now Has 628 Confirmed COVID-19 Cases — More Than Double What It Was Sunday

- On March 23, Premier François Legault announced that the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Quebec has reached a total of 628 — the highest increase the province has seen so far.
- Of the 628 confirmed cases, 265 are from the region of Montreal.
- Get more information about the current coronavirus situation in Quebec below.
- Visit MTLBlog for more headlines.
The Government of Quebec has been holding public briefings every day since the beginning of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 23, Premier François Legault announced the highest increase in confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Quebec so far. The province now has a total of 628 cases.
Legault points out that the heightened number of cases means we need truly begin to take this situation seriously — and such comes with new protective measures.
During the press conference on March 23, the Premier announced that all non-essential services will be closed until April 13. "Quebec will be on pause for three weeks," Legault says. This date is not a definite one, but a hopeful one.
It is now a critical time for the province to stop the spread of the virus, Legault mentions.
Due to the high number of confirmed cases in Quebec, seniors in the province are now only able to leave their homes with supervision. This is due to the fact that people 70 years and older are at higher risk of being affected by the virus.
"The last thing we want in Quebec is for the virus to enter senior homes in the province," Legault said.
The Premier reminds the public that the faster we all follow the rules, the faster we will get our lives back to normal. In this same vein, Legault asks that all Quebecers collaborate during the upcoming weeks.
No matter what age you are, you must respect the rules, he states.
Legault posted a tweet before the beginning of this press conference, which stated "this is the time to show the determination, solidarity and courage that we Quebecers are capable of. We must all follow public health guidelines."
You can watch a live video of the press conference on March 23 below.
C’est le temps de faire preuve de la détermination, de la solidarité et du courage dont on est capables, nous les Q… https://t.co/iPcUjHQvyu— François Legault (@François Legault) 1584982477.0
A transcription of this press conference is available here.
Santé Québec tweeted an update of the current coronavirus situation in the province at 1:45 p.m. on March 23, which you can see just below.
#COVID19 – Au Québec, en date du 23 mars 13h, la situation est la suivante: 628 cas confirmés* 4 décès 1 personne… https://t.co/I2AWsbsjKk— Santé Québec (@Santé Québec) 1584985450.0
Thus far, there are 628 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the province, four deaths, one recovery, 1888 people who remain under investigation for potentially having the virus, and 11,211 who have tested negative for it.
Below is an exact breakdown of the number of confirmed cases in each Quebec region.
[rebelmouse-image 26886052 photo_credit="Gouvernement du Qu\u00e9bec" expand=1 original_size="380x650"] Gouvernement du Québec
Of the total 628 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the province, 265 are from the Montreal region.
Quebec health officials released guidelines for individuals to follow to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in the province. You can read about them here.
More information on hygiene practices during the pandemic is available on the government of Canada's website here.