Quebec is shutting down bars, cinemas, concert halls, gyms and spas as the province reported 4,571 new COVID-19 cases in a span of 24 hours.
The province on Monday reported 3 new deaths, 397 hospitalizations, an increase of 21 compared to the previous day and 82 people in intensive care, an increase of 3 compared to the previous day.
To curtail the rising numbers, Health Minister Christian Dubé announced the following restrictions, in addition to the reduced capacity rules that came into effect today.
New Restrictions:
Restaurants and bars
- Complete closure of bars, taverns and casinos.
- Restaurants remain open, but dining room hours are limited between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m.
- Restaurants: This is in addition to capacity reduced by 50%; space between tables maximized, 10-person (or occupants of three homes) capacity limit maintained, Dancing and karaoke prohibited, All patrons must remain seated
Public Events
- Cinemas, performance halls, cancellation of dinner shows closed starting December 21st.
- All indoor and outdoor public events such as performances starting December 21st.
- Indoor places like arcades, thematic sites, amusement parks, amusement and recreation centers, water parks, places for the practice of bowling games, darts, billiards or other games of the same nature closed starting December 21st.
- All non-essential public activities such as conventions, conferences, symposia, events, or performances are suspended.
Sports and leisure centres
- Extracurricular activities cancelled.
- Sports, professional or amateur activities (exception for accompanying parents) with no spectators
- Food concessions closed
- Gyms closed
Spas and saunas
- Spas and saunas, with the exception of personal care, closed. Personal care businesses such as hairdressers and massage therapy centres must make appointments to limit their customer traffic to 50% of their capacity.
Schools
- Elementary and secondary schools will be closed as of December 21 (except for school vaccinations, delivery of rapid tests and daycare services, which remain open). The last day in the presence of the students is therefore today, December 20.
- The start of the current school year is also postponed to January 10 for primary schools.
- If the school calendar provides for a return to school before January 10, teaching will be done remotely.
- Early childhood centers (CPEs) and daycare centers remain open.
Office Work
-
- Remote/Work-at-home compulsory.
Other Restrictions (announced previously) that came into effect today:
Stores and shopping centres:
- Premises capacity limit (1 client per 20 m2 of sales area); applies in stores, traffic areas and food courts
- Exception for personal care (hairdressers, massage therapists, etc.): traffic managed through appointments
Places of worship:
- Passport vaccine mandatory AND venue capacity reduced by 50% (max. 250 worshippers)
- All worshippers must remain seated
- Marriage and funeral ceremonies: may be held without mandatory vaccine passports when attendees limited to no more than 25
Funerals
- Current capacity maintained: no more than 50 attendees on premises at any one time, on a rolling basis
Essential public activities Assemblies, meetings (other than for work purposes), selected ceremonies
- Passport vaccine mandatory AND venue capacity reduced by 50% (max. 250 participants)
- All participants must remain seated
- Mask mandatory (except eating and drinking)
- Marriage and funeral ceremonies: may be held without mandatory vaccine passports when attendees limited to no more than 25
Private gatherings @ Private homes and nursing home units
- Indoor: current 10-person (or occupants of 3 homes) limit maintained
- Outdoor : 20-person limit maintained
- Rapid antigen screening tests recommended
Private gatherings @ Rented halls or indoor public settings
- Limit of 10 people for private gatherings (except wedding and funeral receptions, limited to 25 people).
Public events
- Venue capacity reduced by 50%
- Spectators must remain seated
- Procedure masks mandatory (may be temporarily removed when eating and drinking)
- Outdoor events: no change
Sports and recreation
- Tournaments and competitions suspended
- Outdoor: no change to current rules
- Ski lodges, snowmobile huts: premises capacity reduced by 50%
A detailed list is given here.