Quebec might ban anti-vax protests at schools, hospitals

Premier François Legault said Tuesday his government is looking at what it can do to stop people from protesting COVID -19 health orders outside Quebec's schools and hospitals.

Legault said his government will “use whatever is necessary” to prevent people from disrupting students attending school or healthcare workers entering hospitals.

“We're not ruling out anything; indeed, it could be a special law,” Legault told reporters in Quebec City, after protesters had gathered earlier in the day outside a Montreal high school.

Protesters have gathered outside schools in recent days to denounce health orders such as the COVID-19 vaccine passport. Last week, demonstrators rallied at the Mcgill University Health Centre's Glen site, some of them carrying signs questioning the use of COVID -19 vaccines. Others bore signs opposing rules imposed on health-care workers.

When asked by a reporter how a law would affect the right to protest outside schools and hospitals for NON-COVID-19 reasons, Legault said the question is being studied.

“We're looking at what it means, a protest outside a school or a hospital, and when we're ready with something, we will come see you, and it will be very soon,” he said.

Later on Tuesday, Liberal education critic Marwah Rizqy posted to Twitter a bill she had drafted that would prevent protests that are “anti-vaccine and anti-health order” within 50 metres of an elementary or high school. She said she had sent the bill to the justice minister and was “ready to sit all night to adopt this law that protects students.”

Meanwhile, Health Minister Christian Dubé told reporters at a separate news conference on Tuesday that the government will unveil details later this week of its plan to attract more nurses to the public health system.

Quebec is short about 4,000 nurses, the minister said. The situation could worsen in the upcoming weeks, as health-care employees face suspension without pay if they are not adequately vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 15.

Quebec officials reported 587 new cases on Tuesday, down from the 679 reported on Monday. They said hospitalizations dropped by six compared with the prior day, to 274, after 27 patients entered hospitals with the disease and 33 were discharged.

Eighty-six people were in intensive care, a decline of six. Health officials reported nine more deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus, for a total of 11,335.