1) The second wave is now accelerating in Montreal at a much faster rate than in most regions across Quebec as the city posted a record 748 #COVID19 cases. Outbreaks are also surging so fast that authorities can’t even pinpoint some of them.

2) Although #COVID19 incidence rose noticeably since last week in the Chaudière-Appalaches and Capitale-Nationale, Montreal's resurgence has been the most dramatic. The city's seven-day rolling average soared Sunday to 27.76 cases per 100,000, higher than those two other regions.

3) It’s worth noting that since Friday Montreal crossed the threshold set by public health experts at Harvard University to require stay-at-home orders. It’s also worth recalling that 75 Quebec experts urged the government since Monday to impose a “circuit-breaker” lockdown.

4) The escalation in #COVID19 cases has occurred amid record-high testing in the 38,000-range for two days. However, Quebec has now fallen in fifth place, behind Manitoba, among provinces in its testing per 100,000 population. Please see the chart below.

5) The ramp up in Quebec’s #COVID19 testing comes as the province continues to report a steady increase in hospitalizations for the #pandemic illness, for a total of 880, up by 20 since Saturday. The spike in hospitalizations is also occurring amid a mass shortage in nurses.

6) Outbreaks of #COVID19 are now erupting in long-term care centres and hospitals in a manner reminiscent of last spring’s first wave, but this time all across the province. Quebec has confirmed 31 clusters in the past two days in health-care institutions, for a total of 353.

7) Outbreaks rose by 21 to 530 in the workplace, up by one to 91 in daycares and up by six to 378 in schools. What’s unusual is #COVID19 clusters jumped by four to five in the category labelled “unknown,” suggesting the contagion may be accelerating too fast for contact tracers.

8) At the neighborhood level, Montreal for the first time in the #pandemic has five health districts that have each posted more than 80 #COVID19 cases in a single day. What’s more, as the chart below makes clear, these health districts are spread all over the city.

9) Montreal declared one #COVID death Sunday. All the other 32 fatalities occurred outside the city, reflecting the fact the case incidence was higher regionally for several weeks. But it also means Montreal can expect an upswing next month in deaths, given its latest case stats.

10) Perhaps the most concerning development is that there are no signs this second wave has peaked. Nursing resources are depleted, and some nurses have had their Christmas vacations cancelled. The system can bear no more. Will the Premier take action tomorrow? End of thread.