Sixth wave not too worrisome for Quebec premier

Lac-Megantic, Que. -

Premier François Legault downplayed Thursday the seriousness of the sixth wave currently hitting Quebec.

He is not overly concerned about the 2,154 hospitalizations recorded Thursday and said he is monitoring the situation daily.

In a morning press scrum in the Quebec legislature, his health minister, Christian Dubé, said that Quebec was entering a "critical" phase over the next two weeks and called on Quebecers to be cautious because of the outbreak of influenza cases that are overloading emergency rooms, in addition to cases of the coronavirus.

Voices are being raised, particularly among opposition parties, to ask the government to relay more public health messages and instructions in this sixth wave.

According to the opposition, the government is desperately trying to turn the page when the pandemic is not even over.

In response to the criticism, Legault recalled that he was once criticized for always being at the side of the public health director who could not hold separate press conferences.

"I have trouble keeping up with the opposition," he said on the sidelines of an economic announcement at a Lac-Mégantic plant.

The premier also tried to be reassuring and temper concerns about the sixth wave.

He pointed out that half of the hospitalized cases linked to COVID-19 are, in fact, patients admitted for another health problem, but who also happen to have the virus. 

He also indicated that the situation was "under control" in the intensive care units.

Finally, he said he was reassured by the fact that the vaccination rate is very high among the most vulnerable people aged 60 and over.

In the morning, the Parti Québécois (PQ) criticized the government for going from one extreme to another between the beginning of the pandemic two years ago and today.

"The government doesn't want to impose rules because it's unpopular," said PQ House Leader Joël Arseneau. "They don't talk about it anymore. It has gone from one end of the spectrum, where it controlled our lives, to the other end of the spectrum, where it is completely laissez-faire."

According to Manon Massé of Québec solidaire (QS), the government has "given up" even though health measures must continue to be respected to support the health care system, which is at the end of its rope.

"The government says: we must learn to live with the virus. But they are pretending it doesn't exist anymore. That's not a good attitude."

--  This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on April 14, 2022.