Quebec public health director resigns, cities erosion of public opinion over measures

MONTREAL - Quebec’s director of public well being, Dr. Horacio Arruda, tendered his resignation on Monday, citing an erosion in public belief because the province grapples with document hospitalizations throughout a fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Premier François Legault accepted the supply, with Arruda’s departure confirmed to The Canadian Press by the premier’s workplace.

His resignation comes because the province is within the midst of a surge of COVID-19 instances fueled by the extra transmissible Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus.

On Monday, Quebec reported 2,554 hospitalizations resulting from COVID-19 -- a brand new pandemic excessive -- in addition to 248 intensive care instances. The province has reported 11,966 deaths for the reason that starting of the pandemic.

Arruda wrote in a letter dated Monday that his workplace has supplied public well being opinions and suggestions amid uncertainty and primarily based on the perfect out there information and varied skilled opinions.

However he acknowledged there was a “sure erosion” in public assist for well being measures.

“Current feedback in regards to the credibility of our opinions and our scientific rigor are undoubtedly inflicting a sure erosion of public assist,” Arruda wrote. “In such a context, I contemplate it acceptable to give you the potential for changing me earlier than the top of my time period of workplace.”

Arruda’s contract was renewed for 3 years in August 2020.

In current weeks, the province has introduced again a number of stringent well being measures together with a curfew for a second yr in a row amid rising infections and hospitalizations.

There have been additionally calls to switch Arruda beforehand over feedback that using fast exams and even sporting a masks offers a false sense of safety.

Legault will maintain a information convention on Tuesday to deal with the departure.

Legault had given Arruda a vote of confidence on Dec. 30 in asserting a number of additional measures together with the curfew, with the premier insisting he was the correct individual to guide the general public well being division.

Arruda has been on the forefront of the province’s COVID-19 pandemic response because it was declared in March 2020, seen as a reassuring determine because the province was hit onerous in the course of the pandemic’s first wave.

Arruda had held the put up of public well being director for the reason that summer season of 2012. In his resignation letter, he supplied to serve the federal government in a distinct put up.

“Don't see on this gesture an abandonment on my half, however relatively the supply of a possibility so that you can reassess the scenario, after a number of waves (of the pandemic) and a context in fixed evolution,” Arruda wrote.

This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Jan. 10, 2022.