Quebec will give update on respiratory infections, ER crisis Wednesday
GET THE LATEST ON THIS STORY HERE: Quebec health minister strongly recommends masks with surge in respiratory infections, ER crisis
Public health officials in Quebec will brief the media Wednesday on what's being called the "triple threat" crippling hospitals: the combination of flu, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in children.
Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé and public health director Dr. Luc Boileau will speak at the news conference at 10 a.m., along with Daniel Desharnais, the assistant deputy health minister.
The news conference will be carried live on ctvnewsmontreal.ca.
Even though respiratory diseases will top the agenda, the provincial government has already ruled out bringing back face mask mandates in the short term in public places.
Premier François Legault shut the door on the idea. "There is no question of reintroducing mandatory masks in public places," he told reporters in a media scrum Tuesday.
At the government's last news conference on Nov. 3, officials said Quebecers should wear masks when they are feeling sick with infections like COVID-19 and the flu.
Since then, Quebec's College of Physicians issued an urgent pre-holiday plea to Quebecers to start wearing masks in public as hospital battle a "worrying" surge of pediatric emergency room visits, while families are struggling to find children's medication on drug store shelves.
On Tuesday, Montreal's two children's hospitals were at 181 and 158 per cent capacity.
Some health professionals said people should be extra cautious and wear a mask in public settings since COVID-19 is still circulating around people with waning immunity, the flu season arrived earlier than usual, and more children are ending up in the ER with respiratory infections than previous years.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trudeau and Harris? Poilievre and Trump? Here's who Canadians think would work best with: survey
As Americans prepare to elect their next president on Tuesday, new data from the Angus Reid Institute suggests Canadians hold differing views as to which federal party leaders would be best suited to deal with either Donald Trump or Kamala Harris.
B.C. port employers launch lockout at terminals in labour dispute with workers
Employers at British Columbia ports say they are going ahead with locking out more than 700 foremen across the province after strike activities from union members began.
Months after VRBO booking, Taylor Swift fan told home 'not available' during Vancouver concert
A frustrated Taylor Swift fan is speaking out after being pushed from a short-term rental she booked for the upcoming Vancouver leg of the superstar’s Eras Tour.
Felonies, assassination attempts and a last-minute change on the ticket leads voters to Tuesday's U.S. election
A campaign that has careened through a felony trial, incumbent being pushed off the ticket and assassination attempts comes down to Election Day on Tuesday.
Measles cases in New Brunswick more than double in three days
A measles outbreak declared in New Brunswick’s Zone 3 last week, which includes Fredericton and the upper Saint John River Valley, has more than doubled since last week.
Prison sentences handed down for sexually abusive London, Ont. parents
In handing down the sentences for two London parents, Justice Thomas Heeney told the court, "The facts of this case were the most egregious that I have encountered during my 26 years on the bench."
She was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes about a year ago. Here's how her condition was reversed
A year ago, Lorraine O'Quinn was coping with stress, chronic illness and Type 2 diabetes. Then she discovered a health program that she says changed her life.
Surprise swing state? Iowa poll has Harris suddenly leading
Based on victories in the past two elections and polls leading up to Tuesday’s election, Donald Trump had seemed almost certain to win Iowa, but a new poll has Kamala Harris with a sudden three-point lead.
Russia suspected of sending incendiary devices on US- and Canada-bound planes, Wall Street Journal reports
Incendiary devices that ignited in Germany and the United Kingdom in July were part of a covert Russian operation that aimed to start fires aboard cargo and passenger flights heading to the U.S. and Canada, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported Monday, citing Western security officials.