The American election is over (well, mostly, we think) and there isn’t much in the way of sports on TV (see last week) and, yes, cases numbers are rising in Canada and Quebec, but at this point we’re so used to case numbers rising and falling and rising again that it’s hard to come up with much else to say about it.
So, it’s no surprise that the most exciting news in Quebec last week was the announcement of relaxed restrictions that are going to be put into place for this most unusual Christmas of 2020. The announced plans have provided a potent mix of holiday cheer and political contention, making it fun to discuss what should and should not be done this holiday season.
As perhaps you’ve heard, the approach is relatively simple: ask people to quarantine themselves for a week before the main Christmas holiday and then a week after. Premier Legault referred to this one week of confinement on either end of the holiday as a voluntary ‘moral contract’ among the Quebecers. Keeping contacts even lower than normal—so the thinking goes—should allow people to be safe when they gather in groups of 10 or fewer. And if there is transmission, then people will have time to detect symptoms and be tested before transmitting the disease well after holiday leftovers have been consumed. Schools will get out a bit early, and return a bit late, depending on the age and level of the child in order to facilitate this extra time.
There are of course, concerns and issues that have already been hotly debated. Some epidemiologists have questioned whether even a full week of limited contact is really going to be enough to avoid COVID’s tricky incubation window, some going so far as to flatly deny that the extra time is going to do much good. Others have claimed that the rules demonstrate cultural favoritism: the Christmas holiday is the one being highlighted here, and—given the complex and heated discussions around in the province and across Canada this past year—special rules for the Christian holiday have been frustrating for many. These announcements were, at least at first blush, awkward for the federal government, which had been encouraging Canadians to be even more cautious during the winter months, not less.
Whatever your thinking on what should or should not be done during this strange holiday season, the issue highlights many of the cultural and economic challenges the province faces at this time. One reason for the restrictions gets at the problem that so many governments face: after asking Quebec to stay home for Thanksgiving, cases anyway. Contact tracing appears to have revealed that many families celebrated Thanksgiving despite the government’s request. So, these new holiday restrictions reflect a cultural reality that so many governments face, finding rules that will increase safety because they are rules that people can live with. They may not be the best rules. At least some people will almost certainly not not make the best decisions. Hopefully Quebec has found an approach that, at the very least, minimizes damage.
by Nathan R. Elliott
1. “Quebecers can have some holiday cheer if they quarantine before and after Christmas, government says.” CBC, Nov 19, 2020. Intermediate. 4 mins.
2. “Infectious disease experts worried about impact of Quebec’s COVID-19 Christmas Plan.” Global News, Nov 21, 2020. Intermediate. 6 mins.
3. “Coronavirus: Jewish Leaders outraged Hannukah gatherings banned, Christmas ones OK.” Global News, Nov 21, 2020. Intermediate. 4 mins.
4. “Gatherings at Christmas: Justin Trudeau holds back from criticizing Quebec’s plan to loosen restrictions.” CTV News, Nov 20. Intermediate. 3 mins.
5. “ ‘It’s time to tighten up’: PM says as modeling shows COVID-19 cases spiking massively.” CTV News, Nov 20. Intermediate. 6 mins.