COVID-19 update
December 30, 2021

Important new health measures were announced on December 30th

New measures starting on December 31st

Curfew

A curfew is in effect between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. throughout Québec.

• It is prohibited to travel outside your residence, except in cases justifying travel, for example, to benefit from health care, for humanitarian reasons or to perform a job that is considered a priority.
• Offenders are liable to fines ranging from $1 000 to $6 000.
• For the entire list of exceptions, please click here.

Private gatherings

Limited to occupants of the same residence, with the following exceptions:

• a visitor providing support or service;
• a single person (with their children, if applicable) can join a family bubble.

Education

The return to schools, CEGEPs, and universities is postponed to January 17, 2022. Distance learning may be implemented prior to the reopening of schools.

School daycare services remain open with priority given to essential workers.

Places of Worship

Closed except for funeral services with a maximum of 25 people in attendance indoors.

Outdoor Events

Maximum of 250 people in attendance. A vaccination passport is required.

Restaurants

Restaurant dining rooms are now closed. Only take-out, drive-through and deliveries will be possible.

Businesses, stores and boutiques

For the next three weeks, non-essential services will be closed on Sundays. Essential services such as convenience stores, gas stations, and drugstores will remain open.

Services such as plumbing and veterinarians may remain open.

Sports and recreation

• Indoor sports are suspended unless they involve one person, two people (in pairs), or the occupants of the same private residence.
• Indoor facilities of ski centres are open solely to allow people to warm up or use the toilet facilities. The consumption of meals is prohibited indoors.

Measures in force in CHSLDs and RIs

Facilities that do not have an outbreak

• One person per visit and a maximum of 2 people a day.
• Outings to attend gatherings  are not permitted, except under exceptional circumstances.

Resident in isolation or facilities where there is an outbreak:

• One informal caregiver who is identified and known to the facility is allowed per day, per resident.
• Outings to attend gatherings are not permitted.

Measures in force in Private Senior homes (RPA)

Visitors will need to provide their contact information upon entry and exit. Anyone who refuses to provide this information will not be allowed to enter the facility.

Facilities that do not have an outbreak

• A maximum of 2 people per visit and a maximum of 4 people a day are permitted inside, subject to rental unit capacity, in order to maintain a physical distance of 2 metres.
• A child can accompany an adult to the resident’s rental unit while respecting the maximum of 2 people at a time.

Outings to attend gatherings

Under the same conditions as for the general public. On returning to the facility, symptoms must be monitored daily for 14 days. If symptoms consistent with COVID-19 appear, residents must get tested and self-isolate while awaiting their test results.

Resident in isolation or facilities where there is an outbreak

• One informal caregiver who is identified and known to the facility per day, per resident.
• Outings to attend gatherings are not permitted.

Booster shots (3rd dose)

As of  December 29th, priority clientele is now able to make their appointments online through the Clic Santé platform (school staff, public security, community organizations in the health and social services sector, private sector health workers as well as other health workers providing home services, palliative care, etc.)

For the rest of the population, it will be possible to make your 3rd dose vaccination appointments online according to the following timetable:

• January 4, 2022: Ages 55-59
• January 6, 2022: Ages 50-54
• January 10, 2022: Ages 45-49
• January 12, 2022: Ages 40-44
• January 14, 2022: Ages 35-39
• January 17, 2022: Ages 30-34
• January 19, 2022: Ages 25-29
• January 21, 2022: 18 and older

People 70 years of age and over who have received two doses of the vaccine and have previously been infected with COVID-19 should seek advice from a medical professional prior to receiving the 3rd dose.   

The delay between the second and third dose has been reduced to a minimum of 3 months.

The procedure for making an appointment will be the same as for the first and second doses, either via the Clic Santé platform or by phone at 514 644 4545.

COVID-19 Testing Centers

COVID-19 vaccination and testing centers are currently facing serious labour shortages.

From now on, testing centers should only be reserved for those who have COVID-19 symptoms and do not have rapid tests at their disposal.

We would invite all those who have symptoms to use the following self-assessment tool to determine whether a Covid-19 test is required.

If you do not have any symptoms but have been in close contact with someone who tested positive, please visit the following page for instructions to determine which actions to take.

The health and social services network is currently seeking candidates for the vaccination campaign to administer vaccines, mix substances, and for contact tracing and investigation. To contribute to the effort, please click here.

Rapid Testing

Free rapid tests for COVID-19 are now available to the general public, at no cost. Each individual is eligible to receive 5 rapid antigen testing kits per 30-day period.

Please note that pharmacies have received a limited number of rapid testing kits, but will be continuously restocked.

Jean Coutu and Familiprix are among the pharmacy chains requiring customers to book appointments in order to get kits. Other drugstores are distributing the tests on a first-come, first-served basis. We recommend you avoid calling your local pharmacy and visit their website to review their distribution procedure.

It is recommended that you use a rapid test only when you have symptoms similar to those of COVID-19, or before visiting a very vulnerable person.

Volunteers

We are actively seeking volunteers who would be willing to drive and accompany citizens in need to their 3rd dose appointments. If you are interested in supporting this initiative please click here.

Services available through my riding office

My team and I are here to help and guide you through all the procedures related to the vaccination passport.

Residents of the Westmount—Saint-Louis riding who are experiencing difficulties downloading their proof of vaccination and QR code may call us at 514-395-2929.

We can help you access your QR code, send it to you by e-mail, or print it out for you in paper format (full-size or wallet-size) at our offices. You can then either 1) pick up your document at our office (and meet our team and our MNA) or 2) send us your address so we can mail it to you.

We appreciate your feedback and do our best to accommodate your requests. Please let us know how we can improve our newsletter and if there are specific topics of interest you would like us to address.

If you would like to receive updates on the COVID-19 vaccination campaign, subscribe to the newsletter of Member of National Assembly for Westmount-Saint-Louis, Jennifer Maccarone, by clicking on this link. You can also contact us at Jennifer.Maccarone.WSL@assnat.qc.ca or by calling our office at 514 395-2929.

If you have any questions, need help with your appointment, or have any concerns, my team and I are here for you. Do not hesitate to contact us if needed.

Jennifer Maccarone, Member of the National Assembly
1134 St. Catherine West, 8th floor, office 801
Montreal (Québec) H3B 1H4
514 395-2929 • jennifer.maccarone.wsl@assnat.qc.ca

Featured image: Tracy Le Blanc – Pexels

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