After months of being forced to close due to Covid-19, the Legault government has announced that restaurants will gradually be allowed to reopen for business.
With the number of new COVID-19 deaths dropping, Quebec says restaurants, including their indoor dining areas, will be allowed to resume activities after a long hiatus. He also stated that soon Quebecers will be able to invite small groups of friends to their home.
“We are at the stage of allowing family gatherings and for people to invite friends in small groups indoors,” Premier François Legault stated at his pandemic briefing.
Restaurants in Montreal, Joliette, and L'Épiphanie can reopen on June 22. In other parts of the province, they can open their doors as of Monday, June 15. Same rules apply to small indoor gatherings of less than 10 people from a maximum of 3 different households.
Restaurant owners and customers are of course expected to follow strict hygiene rules. Public health authorities continue to recommend that you wash your hands frequently and thoroughly, with soap and water, for at least 20 seconds. It is also recommended you carry alcohol-based hand sanitizer with you; avoid touching your face; cough or sneeze into a tissue or into your arm to reduce the spread of germs; stay two metres away from people who do not live with you, and wear a face mask whenever it is difficult to maintain this distance, such as in stores or on public transit.
As Quebec’s death toll from COVID-19 nears 5,000, the health department has reported eight more COVID-19 deaths and 225 new cases in the past 24 hours.
Of this number, there were 83 new cases in Montreal and one new death from COVID-19 on Monday.
There are now 4,984 people who have died of COVID-19 in Quebec, as confirmed cases in the province reached 53,047.
On Sunday, the city had the same number of new cases, 83, and five new deaths were announced.
While the numbers are still grim, it is the fewest number of deaths recorded since April 1.