Legault Is Warning That Quebec Is In For A 'Difficult' Next Few Weeks
"It's going to be very important to continue our efforts and to stick together, even if we are tired."
Premier François Legault took to Facebook Friday morning amid reports that Quebec has recorded 10,000 new COVID-19 cases in a single day. The premier sought to reassure Quebecers but also warned of a "difficult" next few weeks.
"If you decide to get together with people outside of your bubble, I urge you to be very careful," he wrote. Earlier in the week, Quebec announced that it will limit private indoor gatherings to six people or two different households as of December 26.
"The Omicron variant is more contagious than anything we've seen since the pandemic began," Legault continued. "I'm counting on your judgment to follow the instructions and to be careful."
"It's going to be very important to continue our efforts and to stick together, even if we are tired."
If Quebec indeed surpassed 10,000 new cases on Friday, it would be the first time since the beginning of the pandemic. The previous record, 9,397 new cases, was just one day old.
The government is not publishing COVID-19 information on December 24.
Meanwhile, officials have warned that government case counts might not be capturing the whole picture.
In a press conference on Thursday, Regional Public Health Director Dr. Mylène Drouin said Montreal's case count is "certainly an underestimation" since people who use rapid home tests might not be declaring positive results with the public health authority.
As of Thursday, Drouin said the Omicron variant accounted for 90% of COVID-19 cases in the metropolis. She added that the region's positivity rate was between 18% and 20%, depending on the area — meaning 18% to 20% of people who undergo a test are testing positive.
Drouin said such a high rate has "never been seen" in Montreal.