Canada: Additional COVID-19 restrictions implemented in Quebec from October 8 /update 26

Event

Authorities in Quebec announced that additional coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions will be implemented from Thursday, October 8, due to a rise in the number of confirmed cases in the province. From Thursday, the wearing of face masks in schools will become mandatory and gyms will be closed. The new restrictions come as the province reported 1191 new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours.

The new measures follow the reintroduction of restrictions in Quebec City and Montreal last week, due to a rise in the number of cases in the cities, including the closure of bars and restaurants in the two cities.

As of Wednesday, October 7, there have been 171,756 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Canada, of which 81,014 cases have been in Quebec, and 9582 associated deaths. Further international spread of the virus is expected in the near term

Context

The first case of COVID-19 was reported on December 31 and the source of the outbreak has been linked to a wet market in Wuhan (Hubei province, China). Since then, human-to-human transmission of the virus has been confirmed.

Cases of the virus have been confirmed in numerous countries and territories worldwide. On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the global outbreak a pandemic. Virus-screening and quarantining measures are being implemented at airports worldwide, as well as extensive travel restrictions.

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, dry cough, and tiredness. Some patients may experience other symptoms such as body pains, nasal congestion, headache, conjunctivitis, sore throat, diarrhea, loss of taste or smell or a rash on skin or discoloration of fingers or toes. These symptoms (in most cases mild) appear gradually. Generally, most patients (around 80 percent) recover from the disease without being hospitalized.

Advice

Measures adopted by local authorities evolve quickly and are usually effective immediately. Depending on the evolution of the outbreak in other countries, authorities are likely to modify, at very short notice, the list of countries whose travelers are subject to border control measures or entry restrictions upon their arrival to the territory in question. It is advised to postpone nonessential travel due to the risk that travelers may be refused entry or be subject to quarantine upon their arrival or during their stay.

To reduce the risk of transmission, travelers are advised to abide by the following measures:

• Frequently clean hands by applying an alcohol-based hand rub or washing with soap and water.
• When coughing and sneezing, cover mouth and nose with a flexed elbow or tissue; if used, throw the tissue away immediately and wash hands.
• If experiencing a fever, cough, difficulty breathing, or any other symptoms suggestive of respiratory illness, including pneumonia, call emergency services before going to the doctor or hospital to prevent the potential spread of the disease.