1) Quebec made tentative progress Sunday in subduing the #pandemic, with the province reporting its lowest number of hospitalizations since March 25. In this thread, I will highlight some of the progress but point to a couple of cautionary examples in other jurisdictions.

2) Since Aug. 14, 32 fewer people have been in hospital for #COVID19. During the same period, 11 fewer patients have received intensive care. But 17 people, mostly those in their 80s, died from the #coronavirus in the past week, a sign the #pandemic still poses a grave threat.

3) Montreal posted 13 #COVID19 cases Sunday, down from 36 the day before. The province recorded 61 cases outside the metropolis, but there were no news reports of major outbreaks and only two new infections in seniors’ residences, suggesting some stability.

4) The city also did not declare any new deaths. At the neighborhood level, the chart below shows that no borough observed more than three cases, a truly remarkable achievement, considering that a month ago some districts were counting more than a dozen daily infections.

5) So what does this all mean, with schools set to reopen a week from tomorrow? Judging from the examples of a couple of other jurisdictions — namely, Manitoba and South Korea — it means Quebecers can’t afford to be complacent and certainly can’t lower their guard.

6) Since World Health Organization declared #COVID19 a #pandemic on March 11, many Canadians have heard little about the situation in Manitoba. But on Sunday, that province identified 72 new cases, up from 42 on Saturday and setting a record for its biggest single-day spike.

7) “This is a wake-up call to Manitobans to again focus on the fundamentals,” said Dr. Brent Roussin, the chief public health officer. The surge has been traced partly to Hutterite communities. The province will make masks mandatory in public places and limit groups to 10 people.

8) Meanwhile, South Korea — a nation of nearly 52 million widely praised for its handling of the #pandemic — the government imposed stringent new public health measures Sunday after confirming 332 new cases. The country is closing bars and beaches while banning large gatherings.

9) By comparison, Canada reported 267 cases on Sunday. But that figure is misleading because Alberta and British Columbia do not make public their figures on the weekend. It’s likely that when they do on Monday, the country’s total will be higher than South Korea’s.

10) With schools soon reopening in Quebec, the provincial government need only look to Manitoba and South Korea to realize that things can change for the worse quickly in the #pandemic. Perhaps it’s time for Quebec to scale back allowing gatherings of 250 people. End of thread.