1) Unfortunately, the #pandemic is once again causing a surge of #COVID deaths across Quebec, even outpacing the latest mortality rates in all other provinces and many jurisdictions around the world. In this thread, I will examine this tragic turn for the worse in the fifth wave.
2) First, it’s important to pause and reflect on a grim milestone in Quebec that largely went unnoticed: on Tuesday, the province crossed the threshold of 12,000 deaths. On Wednesday, the official #pandemic death toll rose to 12,080. May all these souls rest in peace.
3) To put this toll in context, COVID was the third leading cause of death in the province in 2020 (8,349) after cancer (21,583) and heart disease (15,653), according to the most recent data by the Institut de la statistique du Québec. The flu, by comparison, caused 340 deaths.
4) In the Canadian context, the seven-day average of #COVID deaths in Quebec is not only the highest but is rising faster than other provinces. For example, Manitoba’s seven-day average was 3 per million population on Tuesday. By Wednesday, it dipped to 2.7. What about Quebec?
5) On Tuesday, Quebec reported a seven-day average of 3.3 COVID deaths per one million inhabitants. On Wednesday, the Institut nationale de santé publique (INSPQ) declared an average of 4 per million population. Please review the chart below. 
6) Sadly, the international comparison between Quebec and other nations around the world appears to be even worse. On Tuesday, Quebec’s seven-day average ranked third after the United States and Italy, according to an INSPQ analysis. France was just below Quebec.
7) On Wednesday, Quebec rose to second place on the INSPQ’s international death list, still considerably below the seven-day average of the United States. But Quebec’s average is now higher than Italy, the United Kingdom, France and Germany. Please see the INSPQ table below.
8) Premier François Legault was correct Tuesday in noting that the current onslaught of #COVID deaths is much lower than during the first wave in the late winter and early spring of 2020. However, the declaration of 62 deaths Tuesday and 52 Wednesday does not bode well.
9) Legault had previously suggested Quebec does a better job in compiling #COVID deaths than other jurisdictions. « Le Québec a toujours eu la réputation, comme on dit en québécois, d'être plus catholique que le pape, » Legault said on April 14, 2020.
10) But the question to ask more than two years into this #pandemic is whether other jurisdictions around the world are still behind Quebec in its rigorous methodology of declaring deaths. The other question to ask is when will Quebec’s latest COVID mortality wave peak?
11) For now, at least one noticeable change has taken place since Dr. Luc Boileau was named head of public health Tuesday. Those who recently had #COVID can now get a third shot after symptoms end. This is what Boileau’s predecessor previously recommended: odysee.com/@Futurhorizon:…
12)Quebec is also speeding up its vaccine rollout, announcing that as of Friday adults in all age groups will be eligible for a third shot. Final question: will Quebec make changes to its Jan. 17 back-to-school plan with Dr. Boileau at the helm of public health? End of thread.
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