Quebec tables bill to end pandemic state of emergency

Two years after it was first declared, Quebec's public health state of emergency will soon be coming to an end.

Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé tabled a bill in the National Assembly this morning, which when adopted, will lift the pandemic state of emergency.

The government will still be allowed to retain some powers to manage the health-care system through to the end of the year.

The bill comes as the government has already relaxed most pandemic restrictions and has announced its intention to drop mask requirements in public places by mid-April, and on public transit in May.

The state of emergency, declared on March 13, 2020 under the Public Health Act, gave the government the ability to take any "measure necessary to protect the health of the population" without having to follow standard procedures.

It granted the government the power to take steps such as limiting travel and dictating working conditions for health-care employees, rather than abiding by collective agreements. 

While the state of emergency was initially declared for a 10-day period, the Quebec government has renewed it 103 times, by order in council. 

The Legault government has faced criticism from the opposition for not seeking permission from the National Assembly to extend its emergency powers.

During a news conference on Wednesday, Dubé said it is the right time to lift the emergency, but he cautioned that the pandemic was not over. 

"The virus is still there. People are seeing what is happening in Europe. We know that we still have 6000 health-care workers missing because of COVID," the minister said.

Dubé said this is why the government wants to retain some powers it has used under the public health emergency, to allow it to remain flexible, if another wave of the pandemic hits.

The bill states that pandemic measures that are still in effect when the public health emergency is lifted can be maintained until Dec. 31, 2022. The government will have the ability to gradually relax these rules by decree.

The bill also shields the government and individuals from legal action for continuing to apply pandemic measures "in good faith."

But Dubé said the measures the government wants to maintain over the coming months are "operational", adding that they were "temporary but essential for this transition."