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(Alexandre D’Astous) -While MRCs of Rimouski-Neigette, Mitis, Matapedia and Matanie will drop to the red level this Monday 7 December, the KRTB remains in the orange zone for now.
Public health claims to have analyzed two scenarios, the red change of the entire region and that of only the eastern part of the region which has finally been maintained. “The transition to the red zone has a great impact, such as the closure of restaurants, bars, gyms, restrictions on sports and schools. At this time, the number of cases remains low in the KRTB. They have the option of staying in the orange zone, but most of the time when you split one region in two, the other part follows in the following weeks. Hopefully people will do what it takes to stay in the orange zone, ”regional director of public health Dr Sylvain Leduc said during a press conference this Friday afternoon.
Dr. Leduc specifies that travel between the red zone and the orange zone is not recommended, but not prohibited. “It will be difficult for the KRTB which finds itself caught between two red zones”, replies the one who ensures that the pressure of the mayor of Rivière-du-Loup and the local restaurateurs had no impact on the decision. “It is only the epidemiological situation that is taken into consideration”.
A passage in the red zone that could be long
Dr Sylvain Leduc suggests that the maximum alert level for COVID-19 could remain in place for several weeks in the RCMs of Rimouski-Neigette, Mitis, Matapedia and Matanie. “We have to be patient. It is a matter of weeks. The next two or three months will be difficult. It would be very surprising if the situation changed before the holidays. We always want it to be as short as possible, but we have to protect our hospital capacities, which are in danger due to the increase in cases in eastern Bas-Saint-Laurent. January is still a difficult month for hospital wards, even without COVID. The number of hospitalizations is low for the moment, but we fear an increase with the explosion of cases in the last few days, ”he comments.
“The rapid development of the situation in the eastern part of the territory (MRC) in recent days has left us no choice to increase health measures by going to the highest alert level for the collective good of our community. The outcome depends on each of you: by limiting your contacts and reducing your activities, we can regain control of the situation. I ask for your cooperation as compliance with sanitary measures will be decisive for the rest of things “, explains Dr Sylvain Leduc.
One of the consequences of the move to the red zone is the ban on parties.
The bar set at 20 cases per day
Dr Leduc said that for a region of 200,000 inhabitants like Bas-Saint-Laurent, the bar to reach the red plateau is 20 cases per day. “We talked about it for several days. We have a record of 27 active explosions. With such a large number of outbreaks, it is inevitable that the virus will reach the most vulnerable people. We must take measures to protect people ”.
Improvised bubbles
Dr Leduc reports that makeshift bubbles have been implanted in some workplaces. “People think they are protected because they know each other and stop protecting themselves. Currently the broadcast is present in all environments, restaurants, bars, workplaces, schools and sports. About twenty schools are involved ”.
Although the measures will only take effect on Monday, public health is asking the population to avoid rallies. “Don’t stay in bars if it was the last chance in your life to go there,” says Dr. Leduc. The CNESST and the Sûreté du Québec will be called upon to enforce the rules this weekend.
Photo: Dr Sylvain Leduc.
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