The Greater Montreal region, the National Capital region in Quebec, as well as the Chaudières-Appalaches region are in the red zone under the regional alert system of the new coronavirus of the province then as cases and epidemics increase in the province
The Premier of Quebec, François Legault, made the announcement during a press conference in Montreal in the presence of the Minister of Health Christain Dubé and the Director of Public Health Dr Horacio Arruda
The situation is critical, « said Legault » The cases are increasing, if we do not want our hospitals to be overwhelmed, if we want to limit our number of deaths, we must act firmly now «
Over the past week, the government urged people to limit socializing and cancel private events, such as dinners and barbecues, in order to stem the tide of the virus Officials say recent increase in cases is the result of community transmission
Quebec reported 896 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, the province’s highest single-day total in months On Monday, the province recorded more than 72,000 cases and 5,826 deaths
« We are giving ourselves four weeks with these measurements to see if we can stop the second wave, » said Legault « I really hope we do, but I cannot and will not make any false promises »
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Legault said bars, casinos, banquet halls, theaters, libraries and museums will all be closed for a 28-day period, starting Wednesday at midnight
Restaurants will be limited to take-out only, but other businesses, such as hair salons and retail stores, will be allowed to stay open
There will be exceptions like if an elderly person needs a caregiver or a parent needs a babysitter, or if someone needs a plumber But in any case only one additional person can enter a private residence at a time
In residences for the elderly, the same rule will apply in that a resident will only be allowed to receive care from one person at a time and a maximum of two people per day
Under the new restrictions, places of worship will be limited to 25 people at a time
For outdoor spaces, people must keep a distance of two meters from each other at all times
« We have been saying for many weeks that we prefer not to enter a house without a warrant, » said Dubé « Our Deputy Prime Minister, Geneviève Guilbault, is looking at all the steps we can take … how we can impose full respect for the new measures not to have a party with us «
In a press release, the Association des restaurateurs du Québec cited repeated government claims that the virus was not spreading in bars and restaurants, but in private and home gatherings
« This is a mistake, » said Alain Creton, owner of Chez Alexandre restaurant in downtown Montreal and a member of the Peel Street Merchants Association
He agrees that restaurants that do not meet public health guidelines should be closed, but believes the added restrictions will backfire
« Come on, all the friends, all the kids are going to get together, » he said, « No matter if they say six people, they’re going to get together, they’ve had enough of this »
Legault, however, said that due to the high level of community transmission, people should avoid all social gatherings
“For the next month we need to avoid socializing,” he said. “Restaurants, bars, places of entertainment are places we go to socialize and what we want is protect services that are more essential «
They call on the government to suspend payment of commercial leases and ban landlords from evicting tenants for non-payment of rent
They are also asking for a remittance holiday on taxes, including GST and provincial sales tax due September 30, and the cancellation or refund of property taxes paid, equivalent to the number of months the rooms restaurant had to remain closed
On Monday, the government also announced it would prioritize testing for people with symptoms of COVID-19 and those who have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive
People who do not fit into any of these categories could be denied access to screening, except on the recommendation of a healthcare professional
Government says move necessary to improve contact tracing and control virus outbreaks
« In the current context, while Quebec is experiencing a significant increase in cases and community transmission is accelerating, it is essential to prioritize screening tests that have a better probability of finding cases in order to start quickly investigations « , the Ministry of Health said in a written statement
The ministry also recommends that those who have been in contact with infected people to remain in isolation 14 days after the last « at risk » contact, even after a negative test
People with symptoms of COVID-19 who test negative are also urged to self-isolate until they no longer have symptoms of the disease
Dubé said that when it comes to contact tracing, Quebeckers can expect to see a COVID search app next week
Monday marks Legault’s first public appearance since he has been home as a preventive measure
Although he tested negative for COVID-19, Legault had self-isolated as a precaution after a meeting two weeks ago with Federal Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole, who was subsequently tested positive
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News from the world – CA – Red alert level leads to 28-day partial lockdown in 3 regions of Quebec, including Montreal and Quebec