1) On the eve of a second 5 p.m. news conference tomorrow by Premier François Legault this week, it’s now clear that the #pandemic in Quebec has deteriorated sharply in the past two days. In this thread, I will take stock of the latest worrisome trends.
2) First, let me extend my heartfelt condolences to the family of the 16-year-old student who died of #COVID19 at Sainte-Justine Hospital Saturday, the youngest person in Quebec to have succumbed to the #coronavirus, most likely from one of the variants. montrealgazette.com/news/local-new…
3) Quebec posted an increase of 29 #COVID19 hospitalizations Wednesday, raising the total in the province to 543. The increase was the highest since Jan. 17, when Quebec was at the peak of its second wave. Yet Health Minister Christian Dubé downplayed the severity of the spike.
4) In Montreal, the number of #pandemic hospitalizations rose by 16 to 256, with Santa Cabrini Hospital alone recording 10. As you can see from the provincial chart below, most people being hospitalized are in their 50s, but there are also those in their 80s. 
5) Across Quebec, #COVID19 outbreaks soared by 71 to 913, the highest since Feb. 20. The number of clusters jumped by 53 to 483 in the workplace, by 17 to 240 in schools and by three to 59 in health-care settings. Outbreaks have risen steadily for the past two weeks.
6) In Montreal, Dr. Mylène Drouin, head of the public health department, warned of a surge in variant #COVID19 cases any day now. Drouin said the city resisted the variants for as long as it could. montrealgazette.com/news/local-new…
7) The total number of #COVID19 outbreaks in the metropolis crept up by seven to 308 from a week ago. But what’s more telling is that the number of clusters in which the more transmissible variants have been detected ramped up by 41 to 156. See the chart below.
8) Since last month, public health officials have acknowledged that the variants are multiplying in schools. But the latest evidence shows that outbreaks have been flaring up more in the workplace. The number in Montreal increased by 18 to 150 in a week’s time.
9) The proliferation of variants in Montreal schools and workplaces, in addition to a prison outbreak in Gatineau and a gym in Quebec City suggest the third wave has truly begun. Legault has claimed Montreal is not problematic, but the city recorded 120 variant cases Wednesday.
10) And tonight, La Presse reporter @ChouinardT has revealed that the number of #COVID19 cases in the provincial capital to be reported Thursday will be nearly double Wednesday’s tally of 250. Does this mean that Legault will announce stricter #pandemic measures Thursday?
11) In neighboring Ontario, Premier Doug Ford issued stay-at-home orders Wednesday in the province’s third state of emergency. An infectious-diseases expert told me the government should impose a “circuit-breaker” lockdown in Montreal and the regions. End of thread. Stay safe.
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