MONTREAL

Quebec public health chief Arruda to meet with opposition MNAs on Wednesday

Published Monday, December 7, 2020 9:49PM EST

Horacio Arruda, Quebec director of National Public Health responds to reporters during a news conference on the COVID-19 pandemic, Thursday, December 3, 2020 at the legislature in Quebec City. Will he meet with opposition parties before the end of the year? THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

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MONTREAL -- Following demands from opposition parties, Quebec's director of public health Horacio Arruda will appear at the National Assembly on Wednesday.

Arruda had previously agreed to speak to MNAs from all parties but not date had been set.

The opposition parties asked on Friday that Arruda appear before a parliamentary committee before the current National Assembly session ends on Dec. 11.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic nine months ago, elected officials had never been able to interact directly with Arruda, they said.

Quebec solidaire co-spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois said that lack of direct communication was troubling when Arruda makes decision “which have concrete impacts on the lives of all Quebecers.”