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Coronavirus updates, March 23: Quebec orders all non-essential businesses to close as cases surge to 628

The SAQ will remain open but will limit the number of people entering liquor stores

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Updates from our live coronavirus coverage of Monday, March 23. Questions/comments? ariga@postmedia.com

Key updates:

  • REM halts construction work
  • Second case at Côte-St-Luc seniors residence
  • Kahnawake bans tobacco sales
  • Here’s Quebec list of essential services that can remain open
  • SAQ liquor stores will remain open
  • Quebec tightens restrictions on seniors’ residences
  • Chart: Quebec cases by region
  • Two Montreal police officers infected
  • Middle-aged face ‘very serious complications’
  • 20 deaths in Canada
  • ‘Enough is enough – go home and stay home’
  • More than 1 billion asked to stay home
  • How Italian mayors are dealing with the obstinate
  • Montreal police ready to enforce state of emergency
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More below


REM halts construction work

The Réseau express métropolitain has announced it will halt all construction work to respect the government’s order on non-essential services. As a result, the planned shutdown of the Mount Royal Tunnel, used by the Deux-Montagnes and Mascouche commuter train lines, has been postponed, and Exo will continue running those trains weekdays until further notice.


Second case at Côte-St-Luc seniors residence

A second case of COVID-19 has been confirmed at Le King David, a private residence for seniors in Côte-St-Luc. The resident, an 86-year-old man, was taken to Verdun Hospital by ambulance with a fever over the weekend. His family was told that he was found on the floor “and was feeling unwell,” a relative said on Monday.


Kahnawake bans tobacco sales

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake has ordered all tobacco stores to close. The move “was made to reduce the number of persons entering Kahnawake, which puts the community at a high risk of the virus being transmitted,” the MCK said.

“There are no exceptions to this directive.”

The council said the directive will be posted in English and French on electronic billboards on Highways 30, 132 and 138 to alert drivers heading onto the reserve for cheaper cigarettes.

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Here’s Quebec list of essential services that can remain open

Quebec has published its list of essential services that may reopen during the partial provincial lockdown announced this afternoon.

The list includes grocers, pharmacies, take-out/delivery restaurants, the SAQ, banking services, cannabis stores, funeral parlours, cleaners, hotels, movers and others.

Earlier today, Economy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon said via Twitter that anybody who can work from home can continue to do so.

Read the complete list (in French only for the moment), on this website.


The scene today at Montreal’s new testing clinic

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Slow to react, U.K. now clamping down

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‘We call on all people of faith to cooperate with governmental authorities’

This is a joint declaration published today by leaders of religious communities in Quebec, including representatives of Christian, Jewish, Muslim and other religions.

As the leaders and representatives of religious communities in Quebec, we affirm that faith is a fundamental aspect of our lives. Among other things, our faith demands that we act to protect those who are most vulnerable in our communities and in our society.

COVID-19 poses a major threat to the people of Quebec, particularly the elderly and those whose health is already fragile.

Paradoxically, the only adequate way to respond at this critical time is to continue to pray from our homes, to suspend all religious gatherings, to temporarily close our places of worship, and to set an example by respecting instructions regarding social distancing and self-isolation.

We acknowledge the great sacrifice that these measures represent. We are taking these actions for the good of our communities and for the good of our entire population.

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Therefore we encourage communities of faith to offer alternatives that will allow individuals to participate in religious services without leaving their homes, including liturgies celebrated privately in places of worship and broadcast through the internet or on television.

We call on all people of faith to cooperate with governmental authorities in confronting the threat of this pandemic.

We pray that God will protect us all from harm and keep us all in peace.


‘Just try to think: I’m very well in my bed, there is no virus around me’

Asked what they would advise to help Quebecers unwind and get a good night’s sleep, Dr. Horracio Arruda, Premier François Legault and Health Minister Danielle McCann had no shortage of suggestions.

Read our story here.

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Labatt to make hand sanitizer

Beer giant Labatt said it will start producing hand sanitizer at its plants in Montreal, Toronto, London, Edmonton and Vancouver.

Read our story here.


‘To the people who seem to think they’re invincible: You’re not.’

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Quebec self-care guide


Musical interlude

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Ontario follows Quebec’s lead

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SAQ liquor stores will remain open

Quebec liquor stores will remain open but are limiting the number of people who can be inside liquor stores at the same time, the Société des alcools du Québec says.

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Quebec’s tally

Note that today’s number includes confirmed and probable cases, while previous totals included only confirmed ones.

In the past, Quebec only listed cases that were confirmed by both the provincial laboratory and the national lab in Winnipeg.

As of now, Quebec considers cases confirmed after the provincial lab shows a positive test.


Quebec tightens restrictions on seniors’ residences

There are 628 COVID-19 cases in Quebec, Premier François Legault announced at his daily briefing.

The previous tally, released Sunday: 219 cases.

Note that today’s number includes confirmed and probable cases, while previous totals included only confirmed ones.

As of today, the government says, it will combine confirmed/probable in its daily updates.

Forty-five people are hospitalized, with 20 of them in intensive care.

The death toll remains at four.

Legault also announced that Quebec is ordering all non-essential businesses to close until April 13.

That includes the construction industry and aluminum smelters. Until now, Legault had said these should keep humming to help the economy.

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“Quebec will be on hold for three weeks,” Legault said. “We are entering a new phase, a critical phase.”

Legault said he is asking Quebecers “to stay at home, except to help the vulnerable or to provide essential services.”

Grocery stores, pharmacies, the news media and restaurant take-out/delivery were mentioned as essential services. Legault said a list will be published soon.

The premier also announced a new restriction: people in seniors’ residences can now only leave with supervision.

“It’s a time to unite, more than ever,” Legault said.

Asked if he envisages the Canadian military being deployed in Quebec if police become overloaded, Legault answered: “We’re not at all there now.”

Quebec public health director Horacio Arruda said it’s crucial that Quebecers stay at home and avoid getting together with others: “I am not trying to scare people but it’s a question of life and death.”


Quebec: cases by region


Montreal Stories: How readers are coping with the pandemic

How are you dealing with life in the shadow of COVID-19? We’re inviting you to share your thoughts, feelings, experiences and observations with other readers in a feature we’re calling Montreal Stories.

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Please send submissions of under 400 words to letters@montrealgazette.com

Please put “Montreal Stories” in the subject line and include your name and the name of the municipality or neighbourhood where you live. We’ll select some of the submissions to share with other readers online and in print. Shorter submissions may be considered for use as letters to the editor.

We look forward to hearing from you.


Middle-aged face ‘very serious complications’

The elderly are more at risk of dying from COVID-19 but middle-aged Canadians also face “very serious complications” if they contract the disease, federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu said at a press conference today.

Significant complications affect about 15 per cent of middle-aged people with COVID-19, she said.


Two Montreal police officers infected

Two Montreal police officers have been infected with COVID-19, a police department spokesman has confirmed to the Montreal Gazette. Another 100 Montreal officers have been placed in quarantine.

The Montreal police department has more than 6,000 police officers and civilian employees.

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20 deaths in Canada

At a press conference with federal ministers this morning, Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, this afternoon said there are now 1,474 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 20 deaths.

Canada has tested 102,000 people. A growing number of the infected in Canada had not traveled, Tam said.

“Unrelenting” social distancing is required, she said.

To preserve Canada’s food supply, the federal government is setting aside $5 billion to help farmers and agriculture companies get through the crisis, Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said.

Asked about rumours of a shortage of meat inspectors, Bibeau confirms that there are problems. She said the government is working with provinces to make sure inspections take place. Retired food inspectors are also being contacted, she said.


‘The pandemic is accelerating’

It took 67 days from the first reported case to reach the first 100,000 cases, 11 days for the second 100,000 and just four days for the third 100,000, the World Health Organization said at a briefing this morning.

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‘Enough is enough – go home and stay home’

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he’s frustrated that many Canadians are ignoring social distancing recommendations are putting others at risk.

“Sadly, as we can see there are some people who feel invincible who continue to go out,” Trudeau said at his morning briefing.

“Enough is enough – go home and stay home. This is what we all need to be doing and we’re going to make sure it happens.”

He said people still going out and gathering in groups are putting at risk elderly relatives, friends with pre-existing conditions, front-line health care workers and people who work in grocery stores.

All Canadians need to follow recommendations, he said.

He said governments will ensure this happens, either via education or “by enforcing the rules if that’s needed. Nothing that could help is off the table.”

He did not clarify what other measures could be taken but said the federal government has tools at its disposal, including those in the Emergencies Act and the Quarantine Act.

No province has formally asked for the federal Emergencies Act to be invoked but the issue will be discussed at tonight’s meeting with premiers, Trudeau said. Talks with provinces are necessary because under the Act, the federal government would take over some provincial powers.

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Trudeau also said:

  • Canada will spend $192 million on developing and producing vaccines for the novel coronavirus.
  • He says being prepared to mass-produce a vaccine, no matter who creates it, will be essential for suppressing COVID-19 in Canada.
  • The Canadian Olympic Committee made the right call in announcing that Canada’s athletes will not go to the Tokyo Olympics this year. He said it’s difficult for athletes, coaches, staff and fans, but it was a prudent move.
  • He will speak to premiers tonight about the possibility of closing provincial boundaries.
  • The federal government will launch ads about the importance of social distancing.

78 new cases in Ontario

Ontario is reporting 78 new COVID-19 cases today, bringing the provincial total to 503, The Canadian Press is reporting. It’s the largest increase in a day so far.

The total includes six deaths and eight cases that have fully resolved. At least six of the new cases are hospitalized.


Montreal police field 200 calls

Since the ban on indoor and outdoor gatherings was issued Saturday, Montreal police have received about 200 calls from citizens reporting that some people are defying the decree, Commander André Durocher told the Montreal Gazette this morning.

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“We are hoping that the fact the media is talking about it will get the message across (that people need to stay home,)” he said.

“We don’t want to create (an atmosphere) where you are snitching on your neighbour because two people are walking. We are hoping people will show common sense. We want people to be civilized and not insult each other.”

More in our story here.


Montreal loosens parking rules

The city of Montreal says it’s “modifying its parking regulations for all boroughs, to facilitate travel and ensure the safety of all.”

Key points:

  • The date of entry into force of street-cleaning no-parking rules, originally scheduled for April 1, is postponed to May 1.
  • Expired resident-parking vignettes are considered valid until further notice.
  • Motorists still have to pay at parking meters according to posted schedules but city parking enforcing officers are focusing on “offenses that have the greatest impact on public safety.”

What is essential travel?


Transat lays off 3,600 employees

With air travel grinding to a halt, Transat says it has temporarily laid off about 70 per cent of its workforce in Canada, about 3,600 people, including all flight crew personnel.

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The company says the final Air Transat flight prior to the full suspension of its operations is scheduled for April 1.


More than 1 billion asked to stay home

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Vancouver planning stiff fines

From The Canadian Press:

Anyone who ignores Vancouver’s state of local emergency declaration could receive a ticket and stiff fine if city council approves a recommendation supporting enhanced powers to enforce it.

Council votes later today on the recommendation that would immediately impose fines of up to $50,000 on businesses violating the declaration.

If approved, bylaw officers would also have the power to hand out $1,000 tickets to anyone not honouring social distancing requirements to stay at least one metre apart.

Vancouver declared a state of local emergency last week and did not include violation penalties in anticipation of compliance.


How Italian mayors are dealing with the obstinate

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Line-up at new Montreal test clinic this morning

A walk-in/drive-in COVID-19 testing clinic, with no appointment needed, is opening today in the heart of downtown Montreal.

Staffed by 125 health-care workers, the outdoor clinic at the Place des Festivals, near Place des Arts, will make it possible to test far more people.

Read our story here, by Marian Scott.

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Men, young people less worried

Women are taking the COVID-19 outbreak a lot more seriously than men are, a new poll from Abacus Data has found.

Forty-nine per cent of women said they are very worried about the outbreak, along with 26 per cent who are somewhat worried. Thirty per cent of men are very worried about the virus and 33 per cent are somewhat worried.

Thirty-seven per cent of men are either a little or not all worried about the outbreak, compared to 25 per cent of women.

Read our story here.

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Ottawa secures flights to fetch Canadians in Peru

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Montreal police ready to enforce state of emergency

For the first time since the 1998 ice storm, Montreal police have declared a state of emergency to allow the force more flexibility in using its resources.

The decree allows the force to modify shifts and reassign officers.

Read our story here.

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Outbreak at private seniors’ residence in Sherbrooke

Eight residents of a private facility for seniors in Sherbrooke have been hospitalized following an outbreak of COVID-19 believed to have started with a visit to one of the residents by her son this month.

Read our story here, by Susan Schwartz.


Canadian cases surge

The number of confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases in Canada surged to 1,472 on Sunday, a jump of 141 compared to the previous days.

Twenty-one Canadians have died.

Here’s a breakdown by province/territory as of 4 a.m., via The Canadian Press:

  • British Columbia: 424 confirmed (including 10 deaths, 6 resolved)
  • Ontario: 425 confirmed (including 6 deaths, 8 resolved)
  • Alberta: 259 confirmed (including 1 death)
  • Quebec: 219 confirmed (including 4 deaths, 1 resolved)
  • Saskatchewan: 33 confirmed, 19 presumptive
  • Nova Scotia: 28 confirmed
  • Manitoba: 11 confirmed, 9 presumptive
  • New Brunswick: 8 confirmed, 9 presumptive
  • Canadians quarantined at CFB Trenton: 13 confirmed
  • Newfoundland and Labrador: 3 confirmed, 6 presumptive
  • Prince Edward Island: 3 confirmed
  • The Territories: 3 confirmed
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Total: 1472 (43 presumptive, 1429 confirmed including 21 deaths, 15 resolved)


Trudeau spoke directly to children on Sunday


What’s open and closed in Montreal

We are constantly updating our list of what is open, and mostly what is closed, in Montreal.


Nightly newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter dedicated to local coronavirus coverage here: montrealgazette.com/coronavirusnews


If you have symptoms

Quebecers who think they have symptoms of COVID-19 should call Quebec’s hotline at 1-877-644-4545.


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    A timeline of the novel coronavirus in Quebec

ariga@postmedia.com

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