Bar and nightclub owners can breathe a sigh of relief. Dancing and karaoke will be allowed in private venues as of November 15.
Dubé made the announcement from Quebec City on Tuesday afternoon, alongside Quebec’s Director of Public Health, Dr. Horaccio Arruda.
“It will be finally possible to dance and customers will no longer have to remain seated at their table,” said Dubé.
Face coverings will still be required for anyone on the dance floor, although karaoke singers can remove their masks so long as they are more than two metres away from other people.
Dubé also announced that bars will no longer be required to keep a registry of clients and customers.
Dancing in bars had been banned since March 2020.
The health minister also announced that as of November 15, high school students will no longer be required to wear a face mask when seated in the classroom. Wearing the mask will still be mandatory for common areas and for moving from one place to the next.
Dubé also made some announcements regarding athletic activities this coming winter. For open-access outdoor winter sports such as hockey, sledding, and cross-country skiing, vaccine passports will not be required but for sports that require a ski lift, vaccine passports will be mandatory. Meanwhile, at gyms, customers will no longer have to stay two metres apart if they are wearing masks.
Finally, public health is now encouraging employees to return to the office but did stress it will be up to each employer to determine a plan that suits them best.
