The Argus Report Read about it!
Shopping centres in the Montreal and Joliette regions are reopening June 19.
The latest:
- Quebec has 53,824 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 5,195 people have died, an increase of 158 cases and 47 deaths. The government says 31 of those newly reported deaths took place before June 5.
- There are 788 people in hospital (a decrease of 52), including 102 in intensive care (a decrease of five). Here’s a guide to the numbers.
- Shopping malls in the Greater Montreal and Joliette regions can reopen as of June 19.
- As of June 26, tourists will allowed to visit the Magdalen Islands by car.
- Small indoor gatherings and dining in restaurants will be allowed, with certain restrictions, starting Monday in most of the province and June 22 in Montreal.
Shopping malls, food courts to reopen
The Quebec government has given the green light for shopping malls to reopen in the Greater Montreal area and Joliette region next Friday, three months after they were first shuttered.
They will have to limit the number of clients, in order to ensure they can stay two metres apart from each other, and the government is asking all stores to install plexiglass shields or similar barriers at cash registers.
Food courts will be allowed to reopen in the rest of Quebec on Monday, and in the Montreal, Joliette and l’Épiphanie regions June 22.
Controversial CAQ bill on hold — for now
The Legault government’s controversial legislation to relaunch Quebec’s economy is on hold until at least the fall.
The National Assembly adjourned Friday afternoon until Sept. 15, with a united opposition still refusing to pass Bill 61 — the stimulus package that would have fast-tracked more than 200 construction and infrastructure projects.
Opposition parties took particular issue with measures in the bill that would allow the government to bypass some of the normal rules for major infrastructure projects.
False negatives
Testing negative for the coronavirus doesn’t necessarily mean that you don’t have COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus, and experts say the high rate of false negatives could mean many cases aren’t being caught.
That’s according to a recent study from researchers at Johns Hopkins University, which found COVID-19 patients had at least a one in five chance of getting a negative test result during their infection, even if they were actually positive.
In case you missed it
Here’s a story from earlier in the week that you may have missed.
After three long months of experimentation, consultations and late-night literature reviews, doctors at the Jewish General, Montreal’s first COVID-designated hospital, now have a better grip on what procedures give patients their best shot at survival.
This story is a look inside the battle to keep COVID-19 patients alive.
