Covid-19 update: Outaouais now in orange zone, deconfinement underway

Marking a rise of 16 cases in a day, the number of Covid-19 cases in the Outaouais since the start of the pandemic reached 12,201 on May 31. According to the Centre intégré de la santé et des services sociaux de l’Outaouais (CISSSO), there were 179 active Covid-19 cases in the region at that time. With 214 deaths in the region so far, it noted that 11,808 people had recovered from the virus.

Last week, nine people were hospitalized with none requiring intensive care, and 49 CISSSO employees were actively infected. Over the previous week, CISSSO stated to have administered an average of 450 Covid-19 screening tests per day. CISSSO said that Gatineau’s urban core has accounted for the majority of coronavirus cases in the region at this point with 9,157 cumulative cases and 151 active ones. 

The MRC de Papineau has had 1,322 total cases, with seven active cases; the MRC de la Vallée-de-la-Gatineau has had 565 with five or less active cases; the MRC des Collines-de-l’Outaouais has recorded 738 cases with six active ones; and the MRC de Pontiac has seen 352 total cases, with 13 active ones. The origin of 67 cases had yet to be determined.

With the Québec government’s Covid-19 red zone measures now lifted, the Outaouais is in the orange zone – meaning that the curfew is over. Restaurant patios and dining rooms are allowed to open. Private outdoor gatherings of no more than eight people, and inter-regional travel are also permitted. Stadiums and large indoor halls may host events with a potential maximum capacity of 2,500 people.

On June 11, outdoor patios for bars will be allowed to reopen, and supervised sports activities in groups of 25 people will be allowed to resume.  On June 25, summer camps will be allowed to resume, as will outdoor public events and activities with certain conditions. There will be lightening 0f mask wearing restrictions during gatherings for people who have been vaccinated twice and of restrictions in stadiums and large indoor facilities.

In August, if more than 75 per cent of people aged 12 and up have had their two doses, there should be a gradual easing of public safety measures. Details about the provincial government’s safety regulations are available on its website. People wanting to get tested for Covid-19 are encouraged to consult CISSSO’s online self-assessment tool before calling 1-877-644-4545 to set up an appointment within 24 hours. More COVID-19 related information regarding the Outaouais is available on the CISSSO website.

CISSSO says all people aged 12 and over are now eligible to be vaccinated.