STEPHEN RICCIO
PONTIAC Feb. 10, 2021
The Quebec government revealed its newest set of COVID restrictions on Feb. 2, allowing non-essential businesses to open and easing the curfew timing in several regions, although not in the Pontiac.
The entire Outaouais region will remain a red zone and therefore the nightly curfew will continue to stretch from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., while six regions across the province were changed from . . .
red to orange zones where the curfew will begin at 9:30 p.m.
The adjustments to restrictions, which took effect on Feb. 8, will include the reopening of non-essential businesses, museums, libraries and the allowance of outdoor activities for a maximum of four people.
Mathieu Lacombe, the minister responsible for the Outaouais, said in an interview with Le Droit that it is quite possible that the region becomes an orange zone within the next two weeks. He noted that there were close to 500 active cases in early January and now just over 100.
Lacombe added that announcements will soon become more pleasant and popular.
Meanwhile, the Pontiac service area (RLS) continues to have five or less active cases (minimum one) while the total case count has gone up by one since Feb. 1, standing at 65 as of Feb. 8.
The Municipality of Mansfield et Pontefract had six total cases, while the municipalities of Campbell’s Bay, Fort Coulonge, L’Île du Grand Calumet, L’Isle aux Allumettes, Otter Lake, Shawville and Waltham continue to stand at five or less. The Municipality of Pontiac total stood at 41, up one from last week.
The Outauoais had 113 active cases (5,953 total, 5,684 recovered) as of Feb. 8, which is down 17 from last week.
There continues to be four hospitalizations at the designated COVID-19 center.
The cumulative death toll stood at 156, meaning there have been six since Jan. 27.
The region is dealing with active outbreaks at five health care facilities: CHSLD de Gracefield, Pavillon de la Paix, Résidence L’Initial, Résidence Shayla and RPA Chartwell Monastère d’Aylmer.
