Quebec’s Red Zone restrictions, which currently cover Montreal and most of the province, will remain in effect until January 11th.
In a press conference today, Premier François Legault announced that his government is scrapping plans to allow gatherings of up to 10 people between December 24th and 27th. Originally proposed two weeks ago (and scheduled to run from the 21st to the 27th), this temporary reprieve of COVID-19 restrictions was coupled with a “moral contract” for those gathering to self-isolate for the week before and after the holidays.
Legault cited a rise in COVID-19 hospitalizations as the reason for backtracking on the earlier plan. Hospitalizations have risen to over 700, with 1500 daily cases on Wednesday and 1400 on Thursday.
“If we continue in this direction,” he said, “hospitals will start to overflow. We have a limited number of nurses, and our nurses are very tired.”
Under the current Red Zone rules, people who live alone are allowed one guest.
While police will continue to issue fines, Legault says he is relying on people’s “sense of responsibility” to ensure that the rules are respected.
