Quebec Health Minister announced on Tuesday that Montrealers aged 65 and over could soon be vaccinated against COVID-19. Christian Dube said that has been made possible due to the availability of more doses in the province.
Premier Francois Legault, public health director Horacio Arruda in a press release, also spoke about the age limit decrease on the island, which they said could begin by Thursday. Currently, those being vaccinated are those aged 70 and above.
Thursday will also be the first anniversary since COVID-19 was declared a universal health emergency. Legault admitted that the government was sluggish in reacting to the crisis this time last year; he said that the government could have done better.
Legault insisted that at the beginning of the pandemic, the province health care network had a gap of 20 000 employees, which hindered the government from responding to the pandemic in time. However, that has changed, and the province is recording some positive progress.
Five regions in Quebec have moved from red to orange zones this week except for Montreal, and her areas have remained red. However, Premier Legault has hinted that could change in a few weeks to come. Health officials are monitoring the results of March Break.
Montreal is still considered a hot spot, with the COVID-19 variants being found on the island. However, the Health minister hinted that mass vaccination could soon start with European vaccines being administered to 20000 homes in Quebec.
Pfizer will be directed to mass vaccination since it does not require special storage, while Moderna will be made available through the local pharmacies beginning on March 15. As the vaccination continues, questions are being raised about whether people can have a social gathering without a mask.
In the U.S., health officials have given the green light to vaccinated people to gather indoors without masks or social distancing; however, Arruda has said the province is not ready for such a move.
