Quebec likely heading toward 6th wave, says public health director – CBC

In less than a week, 8,600 health-care workers have been absent mostly due to COVID

Mar 27, 2022

Quebec’s interim public health director said all signs point to Quebec heading toward a sixth wave of COVID-19.

At a news conference Sunday, Dr. Luc Boileau came short of confirming another pandemic wave of infections, but said the spike in cases in recent weeks driven by the Omicron variant BA.2 suggests one is imminent.

Boileau said he would wait up to a couple of weeks to hear from Quebec’s institute of public health (INSPQ) experts before announcing it.

“We’re not in the same situation as we were in December and January, but public health is following all of this very closely,” he said, noting the BA.2 variant is even more contagious than the original Omicron strain.

“The increase of the variant is worrisome.”

The health network in particular has taken a hit from its spread, he said.

In less than a week, 8,600 health-care workers have been absent because of illness and mostly due to COVID-19 — representing a 60 per cent rise in absences.

Quebec likely heading toward 6th wave, says public health director – CBC

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