Attention to the bars, but also to private parties, ” says Arruda

Horacio Arruda recalled that it is forbidden to be more than 10 people in the house at the same time.

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July 14, 2020 17h38

Updated at 18h38

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Attention to the bars, but also to private parties, ” says Arruda

Stéphanie Marin

The Canadian Press

On the eve of the construction holiday, the national director of public health, Horacio Arruda, warned Quebecers that they must not just be wary of getting the COVID-19 in the bars and that they should also pay attention to private parties that bring together a lot of people.

The construction holidays are synonymous with travel between the regions, and this may be conducive to the spread of the disease, he recalled at a press conference on Tuesday in Trois-Rivières.

And the virus is still in the community, he said: it has to do is look at what happened recently with the young people who frequented the bars and private parties.

If it has been more a question of the bars recently – the Montreal public Health has especially invited all those who attended since the 1st of July to be tested and identified up to now thirty-infected persons who frequented bars of the city – it must not be forgotten that the large gatherings in the home can also increase the risk.

Mr. Arruda reiterated that it is forbidden to be more than 10 people in the house at the same time.

A party with 25 or 50 people, “it is not”.

He says understanding the need of people ending up with the arrival of the holidays : “I’m the first to have the taste of having a party at home, with 50 people around the pool, drinking beer, to celebrate, and one to stick to.” But this is not possible for the moment, he said.

He took the opportunity to ask the collaboration of the population : when employees of the public Health call to check if a person was in a bar or a party to trace those who have been exposed to an infected person, he should say the truth.

“We will not send the police”, for handing out fines, he insisted. “We will not let you start a fight.”

You are not looking for guilty parties, has continued the national director of public health, reiterating that the approach is necessary to contain the spread of the virus.

The Montreal public Health has invited all those who have frequented bars since the 1st of July to get tested.

The canadian Press, Ryan Remiorz

Wearing a mask

Dr. Arruda has made the question about a petition circulating against the mandatory wearing of the cover face.

He said that public Health does not like to make things mandatory. “We like more convincing”, he said.

When something becomes mandatory, people are fighting back against the authority, sometimes even those who would have worn the mask if it had not been imposed, he explained.

He said that he had received e-mails comparing him to a dictator, in particular to Stalin.

However, the call to the port of the mask in order to protect themselves collectively has not been followed : “One sees that the membership is not there.”

“We made a choice, because we thought that it was going to save lives”, but the decision was not taken light heartedly, stressed the national director of public health.

“Otherwise, these people, who will not wear the mask, or in insufficient quantity, they will be responsible, without knowing it, of the mortality of the people.”

Le Soleil