Source: www.ctvnews.ca
TORONTO — An upcoming nightly curfew in Quebec is hogging the headlines, but some public health experts say it’s another plank of Premier Francois Legault’s new plan that other provinces should pay the most attention to.
Legault announced Wednesday several new measures aimed at curbing the spread of the novel coronavirus in the province, where the COVID-19 curve has been rising sharply since late November.
The measures include a curfew that will affect the vast majority of Quebecers. As of Saturday, anyone caught outside their home between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. for any reason other than work, walking a pet within one kilometre of their home or visiting a pharmacy will be subject to a fine of up to $6,000.
CTV News’ Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Abdu Sharkway told CTV’s Your Morning on Thursday that while the curfew may seem heavy-handed, it is necessary to find a way to reverse COVID-19’s upward trend in Quebec.
“If incentive to do the right thing isn’t working, at some point, when do you have to invoke disincentive to make sure that more people don’t die and that our health-care system doesn’t collapse?” he said.
“We’re really playing with fire at this point in time.”
