covid measures loosened, but what is permitted 'is not necessarily what is prudent'
an infectious-diseases specialist says quebecers should each use our best judgment before taking advantage of the province's more flexible rules.
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with gyms and spas reopening at 50 per cent capacity monday, two days after rules were loosened for restaurants and private gatherings, quebecers need to assess the risks of taking part in such activities, experts say.
“that is what is permitted. that is not necessarily what is prudent,” said dr. donald vinh, an infectious-diseases specialist and medical microbiologist at the mcgill university health centre.
a meal in a restaurant can be a wonderful mood-booster, but make sure the one you choose is not overcrowded and has tables that are well spaced apart, he advised.
quebec is allowing the resumption of indoor sports and leisure activities monday, with a limit of up to 25 people per group and 50 per cent capacity for locker rooms.
on saturday, the province lifted the limits for gatherings in private homes. the government recommends limiting get-togethers to up to 10 people, from a maximum of three households.
up to 10 people from three households may also now share a table in a restaurant.
but we should use our judgment before taking advantage of the more flexible rules, vinh advised.
before using a gym, make sure it has excellent ventilation and scrupulously observes guidelines on hygiene and mask-wearing, he said.
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navigating the new covid-19 landscape is a bit like taking a self-defence class, vinh explained.
“you have to train yourself to know that in these specific scenarios, here’s what you need to do,” he said.
“the point is that if you know what works and you know how and when to use it, you don’t have to be scared, and i think that’s the idea here with the pandemic.”
hospitalizations for covid-19 in quebec dropped again sunday, to a total of 2,081 patients, a decrease of 62. hospitalizations have declined by more than 300 in the past week.
nine more deaths were attributed to the virus sunday, bringing the province’s death toll since the start of the pandemic to 13,693.
of the hospitalized patients, 140 were in intensive care — a decrease of 13.
while the omicron wave is subsiding, it’s “premature to say the pandemic is over,” said dr. catherine hankins, co-chair of canada’s covid-19 immunity task force and a professor in the department of epidemiology, biostatistics and occupational health at mcgill’s faculty of medicine.
future unknowns include new variants, how transmissible and virulent they will be and to what degree they will be able to evade immunity from vaccines or having had the virus, she said.
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“with the opening up that we’re seeing, i think each person needs to say: ‘ok, what makes the most sense for me, my situation, my family, my loved ones?’ ” hankins said.
“i think the population has to come on board in terms of taking responsibility for making decisions about what risks you’re willing to take, and that’s very dependent on your own personal health situation: your age, whether you’re a bit overweight, whether you have hypertension, whether you’re a diabetic, whether you’re immunocompromised or whether you’re getting cancer therapy.”
it’s also essential to consider the risks for others in your circle, hankins said.
“if you did get infected, who might get the virus that you didn’t want to transmit it to?” she said.
dr. matthew oughton, a physician in the infectious-disease division at the jewish general hospital, counselled people to turn to trustworthy sources for guidance. these include your family physician if you have one, the 811 info-santé line, and online covid-19 information from the quebec government or the public health agency of canada.
keep observing common-sense precautions like cracking open a window when you have visitors, he said.
“what you can do to keep yourself safe, if you have concerns for whatever reason, is wear a mask,” said oughton, who is also an assistant professor of medicine at mcgill university.
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“nothing is perfect, masks included,” he said. “but when you’re out and around people, especially people that you don’t know, certainly masks work.”
oughton said mask-wearing is one reason there has been a dramatic drop in influenza cases during the pandemic.
“there are lots of good reasons to my mind that masks should be maintained for a long time yet,” he said.
all three experts also called on the government to maintain the vaccine passport for now.
health minister christian dubé said friday it is possible the vaccine passport system will be suspended and only revived during the next covid-19 wave, if necessary.
alberta, saskatchewan and manitoba have all recently moved to stop requiring proof of vaccination.
vinh, hankins and oughton also called on the government to adopt new standards for ventilation systems in large buildings in order to prevent transmission of the virus.
“we need the indoor air to be as safe as the outdoor air. of course, that’s not going to happen overnight,” vinh said.
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