In his first address of the New Year on Wednesday, Quebec Premier François Legault announced a tightening of lockdown measures aimed at bringing the second wave of the novel coronavirus in the province under control.
Under the new rules, an overnight curfew will be put in place from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. beginning on Saturday, Jan. 9. until Feb. 8.
People will not be allowed out of their homes during those hours unless they are going to work, Legault said.
Quebec thus becomes the first province in the country to impose a curfew during the pandemic.
Much of Quebec, including Montreal and Quebec City, has been under partial lockdown since October, when bars, restaurant dining rooms, gyms and entertainment venues were closed. In December, Legault closed all “non-essential” retail stores and extended the winter break for elementary and high school students, and ordered office workers to work remotely.
Legault said those measures for non-essential businesses will remain in place until Feb. 8, but said curbside pick up will be allowed.
All grocery stores and corner stores will be required to close at 7:30 p.m. to respect the curfew, except those with gas stations which will be allowed to stay open longer. Pharmacies will also be allowed under the new rules to remain open after 8 p.m.
Legault also ordered the closure of “non-essential” manufacturers, as well as a shut down of construction sites.
Churches and other places of worship have also been ordered to close.
Grade school students will be allowed to resume in-person classes on Jan. 11, as previously planned. High school students will continue with online learning for an extra week, with a return to school scheduled for Jan. 18.
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Distance learning in Quebec in pandemic times
Legault cited the deepening health crisis for the new measures.
“We’re in a race against the clock,” he wrote on social media, ahead of Wednesday’s announcement. “The virus is going faster than we are and to slow it down we need a shock treatment.”
Quebec has reported more than 2,000 new infections every day since Dec. 20. and on Wednesday hospitalizations stood at 1,393 — a number not seen since late May.
Earlier in the day, Health Minister Christian Dubé also expressed his concern on social media.
“The portrait of COVID-19 in Quebec is not what we would have hoped for after the holiday break,” he wrote. We must therefore redouble our efforts to curb the virus.”
— With files from Global News’ Kalina Laframboise and The Canadian Press’ Jacob Serebin
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