In Quebec, the fight against the coronavirus and the fear

the government of the French-speaking province has adopted a management offensive of the health crisis, by focusing heavily on prevention.

These days, the number of French expatriates in Canada, including in Quebec, workers or students left for a temporary stay, separated from their families, were interviewed in front of the gradual closure of the border to face the pandemic of sars coronavirus : stay or go ?

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Question agonizing, heart-wrenching, when you look at the progression of the virus, the party of China, is overwhelming today Italy and France, and that spreads little by little in North America. None of our countries is overlooked, it is a certainty. Only difference : the propagation delay, which leaves some people more time to prepare to face. And to adjust their political strategy and health.

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This is a real race against the clock that has engaged Quebec, even before that the canadian federal government does not put in order of battle - to the dismay of the Beautiful province. Quebec, is the gateway to the French, soon took the measure of the risk : "there is no minimization, no speech, terrorist no more, notes the writer (and doctor) Martin Winckler, installed for eleven years in Montreal. Everyone is agree to say that it is serious and that he must take action, find solutions, answer questions, but not to let them win by fear, by appealing to the reason of citizens".

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"Save time". This is the obsession of the political and caregivers. In addition to the time, the Quebec, of the 8 million inhabitants on a territory 3.5 times bigger than France, has a natural attraction : its geography and therefore its low population density, which makes the social distancing easier, especially in the winter (and it is still winter in the Beautiful province). Finally, it can count on the civility of the inhabitants - the british colonization has left traces and on a sense of solidarity, inherited from the struggles of ancestral against the elements (cold, ice).

But like France, Quebec has an aging population and a system of care sometimes exceeded by the demand. Has a slight nuance, that is a timely reminder of dr. Fabrice Brunet, of French origin, CEO of the CHUM, Montreal : "The health network is completely integrated from the regional agencies of health have been removed ; therefore, there is a direct link between the hospitals and the ministry of Health".

This direct link, it is now also between the rulers and the population. It became an appointment for a week. A ritual almost reassuring in this time of pandemic. Every day at 13 hours exactely, the Premier of Quebec, holds a press conference, relayed on Facebook. Francois Legault speaks to reporters and citizens, accompanied by the minister of Health and the national director of public health of Quebec. A trio at running well-established : a point on the health situation of the ads to answer and a question and answer session with the journalists. All with a clear, controlled. This is not the war but we know who is the commander-in-chief.

"Convince before force"

Since the march 11, while the province had only 13 confirmed cases, the government is put in a mode of crisis management. It has taken the first steps strong (confinement of fourteen days to any person returning from abroad, prohibition of gatherings interiors of more than 250 people, etc). And each day, for a week, new instructions are announced. In such a way that in the space of seven days - and 120 reported cases of coronavirus - Québec has almost approached the situation imposed to the French - schools, shops, public places, closed, ban on visits to hospitals and retirement homes, home highly recommended in the corporate, travel restrictions inter - but in a completely different way : "convince before compel", is the motto of Horacio Arruda, national director of the Québec public health, an "official shock" according to the newspaper The Press. This fifty-year old looking man and straight talk do not hesitate to tint his words of humor or a personal note but it remains intractable in its recommendations : "wash your hands", pounds-t-it relentlessly.

to Play the incentive of a maximum, obtain the support of the population, leave to solicit the opinion leaders to relay the message, especially with young people, tempted by parties and other group outings : after having launched the slogan "Spread the info, not the virus", François Legault has appealed to artists, athletes and comedians. Even Thierry Henry, new coach of the Impact to Montreal, split a video on Twitter. For more than 70 years, the Prime minister says "stay home", "going to take the air, it is good for the physical health, to the moral, but don't go in the shopping centres". And to all, it repeats every day, 'stay a metre or two of each other", "see your dinner".

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will This be enough there to slow the spread of the épidémie in la Belle province ? Nothing is less certain because the canadian provinces have not all adopted the same measures, and Canadians can freely circulate in their countries. But for now, in Quebec, the fear does not yet seem to have won. And this is already a victory.