1) As Quebecers await word on whether a more contagious variant of the #coronavirus is circulating in the province, it’s worth reviewing the latest provincial data on workplace outbreaks, with cases surging in the manufacturing industry as well as in retail and big box stores.

2) The number of workplace #COVID19 outbreaks in the province soared from 272 on Dec. 12 to 699 on Dec. 19 — a truly dramatic increase that underscores the contagiousness of the #coronavirus. Please see the latest chart below by the Institut national de santé publique du Québec.

3) What stands out is the sheer number of #COVID19 clusters in Quebec manufacturing, including in food processing as well as in factories involved in a wide range of products. A total of 1,336 workers in manufacturing contracted the #coronavirus out of 187 outbreaks.

4) The next hard-hit sector is retail, with 151 outbreaks. These businesses include grocery stores, pharmacies, and auto-body shops, among others. Nearly 600 workers have contracted #COVID19 in these businesses. Closing some for two weeks will no doubt cut viral transmission.

5) What’s also noteworthy is that every workplace sector in Quebec has been hit by the #coronavirus, despite all the precautions that have been taken. These stats are a call for Quebecers to exercise much greater vigilance until most people can be vaccinated against #COVID19.

6) Which brings us to the news by the Ontario government Saturday confirming the first two cases of the #COVID19 “UK variant” in that province. Given that Quebec and Ontario are neighbors, the question arises as to whether the strain might also be circulating here as well.

7) Dr. Barbara Yaffe, Ontario’s associate chief medical officer of health, emphasized in a statement “there is no evidence that (the variant) is more likely to cause severe illness” or that the “Health-Canada-approved vaccines will be any less effective against the new variant.”

8) For the past two days, Quebec hasn't published its daily #COVID updates. We’ll have to wait until Sunday morning to find out whether the number of new cases has continued to climb. On Thursday, the figure was 2,349 infections, the highest daily total recorded in the #pandemic.

9) Quebecers will also have to wait for official confirmation that the variant, known as B.1.1.7 or VUI202012/01, is, in fact, circulating here. At the very least, though, the news out of Ontario should jolt Quebecers into exercising even more caution. End of thread. Stay safe.