COVID-19: Minister Girard became infected days before the budget update

Treasury Secretary Eric Girard is battling COVID-19 days ahead of the economic update he is due to present to the National Assembly on Thursday.

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Mr Girard explained that he started feeling symptoms of the disease on Friday. A test carried out on Saturday then confirmed the infection.

“I will be working in isolation for the next few days, as per the instructions of the [Santé publique]. I plan to be back in time to present the economy update in Qc on Thursday,” the minister said on his Twitter account on Sunday.

Presented in the midst of an inflationary context, with an economic reality no longer in line with that prevailing when the budget was presented last March, the economic update should help clarify the picture of Quebec’s economy.

Minister Girard estimates to date that Quebec has a one in two chance of falling into recession, but is guaranteed to experience an economic downturn in 2023.