Quebec to roll out rapid tests in pharmacies, urges people to work from home as omicron looms

Quebec will begin rolling out 10 million rapid tests in pharmacies across the province as of Monday and is asking people to once again work from home, as cases and hospitalizations have seen a sharp rise in the past week. 

Dubé said health officials are monitoring the situation and the possible impact of the omicron variant ahead of the holidays, when groups of 20 are supposed to be allowed to gather. 

Dubé hasn't said whether those gatherings will still be allowed. 

He announced Tuesday that employers should immediately once again prioritize work from home. 

Dubé also announced that 10 million rapid tests will be made available to the general population through 1,900 pharmacies as of Monday. People will have access to five free tests every 30 days, he said. 

Health officials have so far detected a "limited number" of omicron cases in Quebec, Dubé said. 

"However, experts say the situation is likely being underestimated," he said. "What we know is that experts agree this variant is a lot more transmissible than delta. It travels faster and hits more often."

Dubé spoke in a provincial COVID-19 update at 1 p.m. along with Quebec's public health director, Dr. Horacio Arruda, and Daniel Paré, who has been overseeing vaccination operations in the province.

Dubé said the variant is believed to be two to three times more contagious than the delta variant, and that non-vaccinated people are more at risk of being infected and of developing complications. 

Though less than 10 per cent of the population eligible to be vaccinated in Quebec hasn't received a dose, those same people make up the majority of hospitalizations and intensive unit cases, the minister said. 

There was an increase of 25 hospitalizations Tuesday, with the total number in the province at 293. There are currently 75 patients in intensive care.

"We're going to see even more of a rise in the coming days," Dubé said, urging all Quebecers, included those who are vaccinated, to exercise caution in their interactions with other people.

He said because there are still unanswered questions about the variant, including the severity of the illness it can cause for the vaccinated and unvaccinated, it is hard to predict how many hospitalizations it could cause as it spreads in the community. 

"Hospitalizations could rise significantly in the next weeks, especially after the holidays," Dubé added.