Quebec COVID-19 Cases Are On The Rise & Legault Will Announce 'Important Measures' Today

"The situation is critical," Legault wrote in a tweet Thursday morning.

Quebec COVID-19 Cases Are On The Rise & Legault Will Announce 'Important Measures' Today
Émilie Nadeau via @francoislegaultpm | Instagram
Contributing Writer

Quebec COVID-19 cases have been soaring recently, approaching similar numbers to those we were seeing this time last year — if not higher.

On December 16, the province reported 2,736 new cases in 24 hours, as indicated on the government's website. This brings Quebec's total number of individuals infected by the virus to 474,478 since the beginning of the pandemic. On this day in 2020, data showed 2,128 new daily cases in Quebec.

This new daily count is even more than yesterday, December 15, when Quebec reported 2,386 new COVID-19 cases, which was the first time since January 8 that the province saw over 2,300 new cases within 24 hours.

Hospitalizations have also been on the rise recently. Provincial data on December 14 showed a net increase of 25 hospitalizations in 24 hours — the largest daily jump since April 16, when hospitalizations rose by 28. But for a little good daily news, on December 16, hospitalizations had a net decrease of four.

In a tweet on Thursday morning, Premier Francois Legault wrote "The situation is critical. I will be holding a press conference tonight at 6 p.m. to announce important measures due to the increase in cases of COVID and the new Omicron variant."

Health Minister Christian Dubé recently asked that employers start to "favour" the working from home method again, effective immediately. This request comes as a result of the rise in the new COVID-19 cases and the aim to reduce the potential impact of the Omicron variant in our province.

If you'd like to stay updated on the measures the premier is going to announce today, you can watch the live conference on his Facebook page at 6 p.m. this evening.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.

  • Alanna Moore
  • Contributing Writer

    Alanna Moore is a Contributing Writer for MTL Blog. She completed a Bachelor of Arts in religious studies & cultural studies from McGill University in 2019. With over three years experience in editing and writing, she has developed a real passion for words and the people who speak them. You can contact her at alanna@mtlblog.com.

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