by Daniel J. Rowe, CTV Montreal
Starting Saturday, a curfew will be in effect in Quebec for all regions except the Nord-du-Quebec administrative region.
Quebecers will need to stay in their homes from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. or risk a fine of up to $6,000. until Feb. 8.
Below is a breakdown of the new regulations that will come into force on the weekend.
Curfew exceptions
- People are permitted to leave their homes for health-care and humanitarian reasons or priority work
- Residents can walk their dogs within one kilometre of their homes
- Gas stations and pharmacies may remain open
- Travel is permitted for those travelling to and from adult education or training school
- Those transporting goods and those managing supply chains can continue to operate
- Travellers heading to an airport, bus or train station are permitted to do so
Indoor/outdoor visits to homes and cottages
- Multiple visitors are not permitted at your home from another address
- Private indoor gatherings are not permitted
- Single individuals are permitted to visit from another address
- One informal caregiver is permitted
- Service or support workers are permitted
- People are already hired for work are permitted
What will be closed
- Grocery stores at depanneurs are required to close at 7:30 p.m.
- Ski resorts are required to close for night skiing
- Non-essential businesses and offices (staff is required to work from home)
- Beauty salons
- Restaurant dining areas (delivery only during curfew hours)
- Saunas and spas (except for massage therapy services)
- Drop-in daycare centres
- Libraries except for circulation purposes
- Indoor sports activities except for physical education classes in schools, professional sports and identified athlete training with permission from Quebec public health authorities
- Auditoriums, cinemas, theatres, and museums
- READ MORE: What is considered an essential service in Quebec? Here's a list
Here's what will be tolerated
- Sports and recreational activities within family bubbles
- Outdoor activities such as walking, skating, skiing and cross-country skiing that are NOT in groups (traffic must be monitored at outdoor sites with controlled access)
- Downhill skiing
- On-site pickup at retail businesses for products purchased online
- Funerals with a maximum of 10 people excluding funeral establishment staff (no food or alcohol may be served)
- Demonstrations, but with mandatory mask-wearing or face covering
- Community organizations' services
Schools/education
- Childcare services within the accommodation limits (children cannot lose their places if parents decide not to send their children to the childcare service)
- Preschool and elementary education will restart Monday with classes required to operate following public health measures
- Secondary school will continue with distanced learning services until Jan. 18 when classes resume
- Lunch is to be taken with students from one stable classroom group
- Lunch with students from a stable classroom group
- Measures do not apply to students with disabilities or those experiencing adjustment or learning difficulties attending a specialized school, special class or the Work-Oriented Training Pathway
- Adult education programs to restart Jan. 18 with distanced education emphasized
- Higher education continued using maximizing distance teaching activities
- Internships and laboratories are maintained for adult education and higher education programs
For all education levels:
- Extracurricular activities are suspended
- School outings and inter-school activities are suspended
- Visitors to schools to be kept to a minimum