COVID-19 in Quebec: What you need to know on Wednesday
Public Health Director Horacio Arruda says a second wave is likely
- Quebec has 54,937 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 5,441 people have died, an increase of 53 new cases and 11 deaths. The government says six of those newly reported deaths took place before June 16.
- There are 500 people in hospital, including 52 in intensive care. Here's a guide to the numbers.
- Much of the festivities marking the Fête nationale have been cancelled because of the pandemic.
- How risky is returning to routine in Montreal right now? Here's what an expert has to say.
- Having trouble keeping track of what has reopened? Consult our list.
Quebec's public health director, Dr. Horacio Arruda, says the province is likely to see a second deadly wave of COVID-19 infections.
Arruda said it could come as early as mid-August, instead of in the fall as many have speculated.
"I think it's next to impossible that there won't be a second wave," he told Radio-Canada.
"Listen, I really hope I'm wrong."
Quebec saw majority of pandemic-related fines in Canada
A majority of the fines issued for violations of COVID-19 regulations were issued in Quebec, a new report has found.
According to the study by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the Policing the Pandemic Mapping Project, police and bylaw officers across Canada issued at least 10,000 tickets or charges related to the pandemic between April 1 and June 15.
The main problem, according to the report, is that marginalized or other vulnerable groups tended to bear the brunt of police and bylaw action.
Quebecers plan a camping-filled summer
In just two days, the agency that manages Quebec's provincial parks network, SEPAQ, has sold twice as many annual park passes as it usually sells all year.
The passes went on sale on the SEPAQ website for $34.90 on Monday morning. That's half-price, thanks to a $5-million incentive program launched by the Quebec Tourism Ministry, in an effort to encourage Quebecers to vacation closer to home in the coming year.
As of Tuesday evening, more than 123,000 passes had been sold. That compares to the usual average of 60,000 passes per year, a spokesperson for SEPAQ said.
