On December 20, a record number of Quebecers made vaccination appointments, according to Health Minister Christian Dubé. From first doses to booster shots, over 315,000 people booked in for a dose.
"It's a record!" proclaimed the health minister on Twitter. "We are committed to resuming our cruising speed quickly with reinforcements."
Dubé's oft-repeated message to get vaccinated seems to have struck a chord with Quebecers in the throes of the current "critical situation" with the Omicron variant. Because of the new variant, case counts have been consistently hitting record numbers, with well over 3,000 cases announced per day since late last week.
Vaccinations are also, perhaps predictably, on the rise. According to Dubé, "over 73k received a dose yesterday, and of that number, nearly 64k were there for their 3rd dose."
For now, booster shots are only available to people aged 65 and older as well as those who are immunocompromised or have a chronic illness, pregnant people, and anyone who received a full series of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Starting December 27, individuals aged 60-64 will also become eligible.
At a press conference on Monday, Dubé said that people will be 75% protected against Omicron once they have three doses of the vaccine, compared to 30% protected with just two doses.
Quebec has announced a slew of new health regulations in an attempt to halt the spread of the new variant. From a mandatory work-from-home order to the closure of gyms, a bunch of things have changed over the past week.
As of 5 p.m. on December 20, restaurants and shops were reduced to 50% capacity; bars, clubs, cinemas and gyms were closed; and schools suspended class. It was a dizzying array of health regulations that are sure to frustrate some people ahead of the holiday season.
In addition, the government mandated that only 10 people are allowed to gather in a private residence, putting a damper on a lot of planned holiday parties.
Let's hope that with this new record number of vaccination appointments, things start to get more optimistic around here.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
