Despite an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, the city of Montreal has announced that it will not renew the local emergency that has been in place since the start of the pandemic.
Instead, the city said today in a press release that it will move from Friday to “alert mode.” The city did not provide details of what that meant.
In a press release Monday, the city said that the high vaccination rates and the imminent implementation of the vaccination passport will allow it to plan and implement emergency orders without relying on the “exceptional powers” allowed by the state of emergency.
The emergency order, imposed on March 27, 2020, gave the city the ability to act quickly to take whatever measures it deems necessary to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, such as creating emergency shelters to support people suffering from the homeless, opening screening clinics, outdoor food stops and other initiatives. In partnership with community organizations.
Despite the lifting of the state of emergency, the authorities renew their call for vigilance and stress the importance of respecting health measures to limit the scope of the fourth wave.
“Montreal and its teams of experts, the regional public health department and the health and social services network continue to closely monitor the situation and will be ready to make the best decisions in the event of changes,” the statement said.
The regional state of emergency – issued on March 13, 2020 – is still in effect and was renewed last week for 10 days.
The Quebec government has said that from September 1, Quebec residents will need to show proof of vaccination to enter non-essential businesses such as bars and restaurants.
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