COVID-19 in Quebec: What you need to know Friday

• Quebec reported 2,013 new cases ofCOVID-19 on Fridayandsixnew deaths.
• Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 462,246confirmed cases and 11,603people have died.
• There are 256people in hospital (an increase of one), including 62in intensive care (an increaseof two).
• The province has administered 13,898,636doses of theCOVID-19 vaccine, including 34,390doses in the last 24 hours.
• 87 per cent of the eligible population in the province (age five and up) hasreceived one dose of vaccine, and 81per cent hasreceived two doses.

Note: Quebec's vaccination rate has been adjusted to include five- to 11-year-olds, causing the overall percentage to drop. Vaccinations for the group began last week.

Quebec'sHealth Ministry does not publish the number of vaccines administered on weekends and public holidays.

Montreal public health is asking people who may have visited a LaSalle community centre or a gym in Kirkland at certain times to get tested for the omicron variant of COVID-19.

The two places in question areBuzzfit Kirkland, located at 3240 Jean-Yves Street and theCentre culturel et communautaire Henri-Lemieuxlocated at 7644 douard Street in LaSalle.

You can find out more about the specific dates and times as well as the testing sites here.

Quebec's health minister is urging people not to panic even thoughthe province recordedthe highest number of new COVID-19 cases since mid-January on Thursday.

Dubsaid the spike in case numberswas to be expected, after the province loosened certain health restrictions last month. He said he expects the situation to stabilize when more children aged five to 11are vaccinated.

The number of cases in Quebecincreased sharply by 29 per cent compared tolast week,according to INESSS, a government health-care research institute known by its French acronym.

The number of new hospitalizations could increase across the province in the coming weeks, INESSSsaid in a projections report released Thursday.

Still, compared to the second wave of the pandemic, the report revealedhospitalizations are down 81 per cent.

With the government easing gathering restrictions in time for the holidays, Gilbert Boucher, head of Quebec's association of emergency medicine specialists, says we need to remember that last year was "very chaotic for everyone in the health-care system."

Rapid testsfor Quebec kids

Quebec's Health Ministry has announced that all preschool and elementary school students will be receiving rapid COVID-19 screening teststhat can be used at home.

Starting this week, tests will be distributed to school boards and service centres in Montreal, the Eastern Townships, Chaudire-Appalaches, Lanaudire, theMontrgie and the Laurentians regions where theepidemiological situation is "more worrisome," according to the Health Ministry.

As the holidays approach, each student will be given a kit in their school bag that includes five tests as well as the materials and instructions for performing them.Rapid tests, which provide results in as little as 15 minutes, may be used for children who have any symptoms similar to those of COVID-19.

Distributionwill be carried out by the Health Ministryand will take place gradually.Other regions will receive the tests starting the week of Dec.13.

Since rapid tests are deemed to be less reliable than those used in the laboratory, in the event that a child tests positive, parentsmust make an appointment to have the diagnosis confirmed at a screening centre.

COVID-19 holiday enforcement

Police officersacross the province will be out in great numbers over the next two weekends to ensure people in restaurants and bars complywith COVID-19 health measures.

Public Security Minister Genevive Guilbaultsaid inparticular, officers will be ensuring that the establishmentsare checking customers' vaccine passports.

The checks will take place particularly on Dec. 9, 10 and 11 and Dec. 16, 17 and 18.

Guilbaultasks the public to be respectful in order to ensure the holiday celebrations go smoothly and safely.

"It is important to maintain safe behaviour during the holidays, for our health and to get us out of this pandemic as quickly as possible," she said in a Thursday press release.

Total of 5 omicron cases in Quebec

Quebec is reporting four additional cases of the omicron COVID-19 variant.

The Health Ministrysaid in a post on Twitter Thursday that the cases were detected among travellers and that seven more cases were under investigation.

Quebec had previously reported one case of the omicron variant in the province. It, too, was travel-related. So far, the province does not appear to have community transmission of the new variant.

On Wednesday, Pfizer and BioNTechsaid a three-shot course of their COVID-19 vaccine was able to neutralize the new omicron variant in a laboratory testand that they could deliver an omicron-based vaccine in March 2022 if needed.

The companies saidthat two vaccine doses resulted in significantly lower neutralizing antibodies, but that a third dose of their vaccine increased the neutralizing antibodies by a factor of 25.

Booster shots

The Quebec government has announced that health-care workers can now get their booster shots.

Health Minister Christian Dub, public health director Dr. HoracioArruda andDaniel Par, director of the vaccination campaign in Quebec, held a news conference Tuesday to announce the details.

Currently in Quebec,booster doses are only available to people over 70,thosewith weakened immune systems and people who had received two doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

But people age60 and over will have to wait for the beginning of January to get theirs. Dub said the reason for the delay is that the province has just enough staff right now to administer vaccines to seniors, young children and those already eligible for boosters.

Canada'sNational Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI)is strongly recommendinga booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for all Canadians 50 and older.

The recommendation also extends to health-care workers,Indigenous people and those living in congregate-care settingsandall those who only received the AstraZeneca vaccine.

The committee is also recommendingCanadians age 18 to 49 get a third mRNA shotat least six months after they got their second.

Holiday gathering limits

The Quebec government has announced an easing of public health rules for this holiday season.

As of Dec. 23, parties can include up to 20 people who are fully vaccinated.

But the health minister said it is still important to limit contacts and behave responsibly.

And the province's public health director said it would be very unwise for unvaccinated people to hold large gatheringsor for guest lists to include a mix of non-vaccinated and fully protected people.

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