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It may sound frightening, but once Quebecers understand the concept of herd immunity they will see it is the best way out of the current pandemic, Premier François Legault said Thursday.

Moving to prepare citizens for what lies ahead when the lockdown is gradually phased out, Legault said allowing large numbers of non-vulnerable people to get the virus “naturally” is Quebec’s best defence against a second, perhaps worse, wave that could overwhelm the hospital system.

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“The concept of natural immunization does not mean we are going to use children as guinea pigs,” Legault said at his Thursday briefing. “What we are saying is people who are less at risk, people who are under 60, can get a natural immunization and impede the wave.”

Legault’s remarks immediately sparked a heated debate on social media with some participants saying the province is playing with fire.

But Legault noted 97 per cent of Quebec’s deaths have been people over 60. Of the 109 new deaths in the last 24 hours in Quebec, 93 were in seniors’ residences.