Montreal lifted its local state of emergency on Friday, ending a 17-month COVID-mandate that began on March 27, 2020. In response, the city freed up resources to deal with crises in the city.
Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante declared a state of emergency to support the city’s homeless population further. The order facilitated additional emergency temporary shelters, outdoor food stops and warming shelters for the vulnerable demographic.
City officials cited rising vaccination rates and the province’s vaccine passport for its downgrade to alert mode, according to a release. It reads, "The administration is now able to plan and carry out its emergency actions without depending on exceptional powers."
"Montreal, its teams of experts, the regional public health department, and the health and social services network continue to monitor the situation closely and will be ready to make the best decisions if changes occur."
Quebec’s vaccine passport will come into effect on September 1. Proof of vaccination is required to enter non-essential businesses such as gyms, restaurants and bars.
Despite lifting the temporary emergency powers, officials tell residents to remain vigilant and abide by public health measures to curb the fourth wave led by the Delta variant, reported Global News.
On Monday, Quebec reported 376 new infections and one death. Health officials reported 1,402 new cases over the weekend. Since Friday, pandemic-related hospitalizations rose by 12 to 99. Thirty-one of those patients went to intensive care units.
"We’re seeing some stabilization in the number of new cases," said Health Minister Christian Dube. "This decrease is probably also related to the weekend."
"We continue to monitor the situation very closely in our hospitals and intensive care units," he added. "We must not let our guard down."
More than 12 million shots have been administered across Quebec, reported Global News. Officials said 78.2 percent of eligible Quebecers are fully vaccinated.
"The vaccine is an insurance policy. It helps lower cases and hospitals and limits the severity of symptoms," said Dube. "With the school year starting, you have to make sure you have as much protection as possible."
The pandemic killed 11,280 Quebecers from 385,120 cases since the pandemic began.
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