COVID-19 live updates: Bonne St-Jean, get a second dose, Dubé tells Quebecers
Bonne St-Jean #BonneSt-Jean
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A total of 116,720 additional vaccine doses were administered in the last 24 hours.
Author of the article:
Jesse Feith • Montreal Gazette 
People line up to get into the COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Bob-Birnie Arena in Pointe-Claire. Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette Article content
This is our live coverage of the coronavirus crisis for June 24, 2021. Questions or comments? Email jfeith@postmedia.com
Top updates
11:00 a.m. Quebec reports 96 cases, 4 deaths as hospitalizations fall
Quebec has recorded 96 new cases of COVID-19, the provincial government announced this morning.
In addition, four deaths were reported, including one between June 17–22, and three before then.
The number of people in hospital with COVID-19 decreased by 18, bringing the total to 143. There are now 38 people in intensive care, two fewer than yesterday.
Some other key statistics from Quebec’s latest COVID-19 update, published this morning:
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Since the beginning of the pandemic, Quebec has reported 374,318 cases and 11,202 deaths linked to COVID-19. A total of 361,952 people who have contracted the disease have since recovered.
9:30 a.m. Dubé wishes Quebecers a happy Fête nationale, urges people to get their second dose
Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé took to Twitter Thursday morning to wish Quebecers a happy Fête nationale — and remind people to get their second COVID-19 vaccine dose.
In a video posted to his account, Dubé said he had just finished visiting a vaccination site and thanked everyone for their effort so far. He wished people a happy Fête nationale and a good start to summer.
“But we still have an effort to make,” Dubé said, “to ensure everyone gets their second dose so we can be ready for the return to school in September.”
Roughly 80 per cent of eligible Quebecers have now received their first dose, and 20 per cent are fully vaccinated.
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Bonne fête nationale à tous les Québécois! ⚜️
On peut être fiers de ce que nous avons accompli dans la dernière année. Maintenant, il nous reste un petit effort à faire durant l’été : aller chercher sa 2e dose 💉. pic.twitter.com/EanzWCU2Vc
— Christian Dubé (@cdube_sante) June 24, 2021 9:30 a.m. Valérie Plante, Montreal tourism director ask Ottawa to let in vaccinated visitors
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante and tourism director Yves Lalumière pleaded with the federal government to allow more visitors into the country, provided they are vaccinated.
“I won’t hide that I would have liked to see people who are double vaccinated come into the country,” Plante said.
Both Lalumière and Plante called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to permit people into the country provided they are fully vaccinated, or provided they are vaccinated once and tested before arriving and right afterward.
Read the full story here.
9:30 a.m. Pfizer is not superior to Moderna and it’s ‘perfectly okay’ to mix COVID vaccines, experts say
While health authorities are reassuring Canadians that it’s safe to mix COVID-19 vaccine doses, and that doing so may even produce a more robust immune response, some appear to be rejecting Moderna for Pfizer.
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But that shouldn’t be the case, experts say, as “it’s perfectly okay to get one dose of each.”
The National Post’s Sharon Kirkey spoke to experts about the topic here.
9:20 a.m. COVID Conspiracies podcast: How anti-vaxxers set the stage for pandemic conspiracies 
In this six-part podcast, Postmedia journalists from across the country will dive deep into why conspiracy theorists and anti-vaxxers have flourished during the pandemic, how their false claims hurt us, and what we can do about it. Hosted by Monique Beaudin of the Montreal Gazette.
The COVID Conspiracies podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and other podcast sites.
9:15 a.m. A guide to COVID-19 vaccinations in Quebec
Local health authorities have set up mass vaccination sites across Montreal.
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You can book appointments via the Clic Santé website or by phone at 1-877-644-4545.
Here are the nuts and bolts of getting vaccinated, by Katherine Wilton. Her guide includes the age groups targeted, how to book appointments and addresses of vaccination centres.
Two private sites can also help you book appointments:
9:15 a.m. Here are the current pandemic restrictions in Montreal and Quebec
We are regularly updating our list of what services are open, closed or modified in Montreal and Quebec, including information on the curfew and other lockdown measures.
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You can read it here.
9:15 a.m. Here’s where Montrealers can get tested today
Montrealers can be screened at test centres across the island.
You can check screening clinic wait times here.
9:00 a.m. Sign up for our free nightly coronavirus newsletter
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Pfizer is not superior to Moderna and it’s ‘perfectly okay’ to mix COVID vaccines, experts say 
Quebecers planning vacation will have to make compromises Share this article in your social network Advertisement
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