Quebec movie theatres, bars and gyms are closing again as of 5 p.m. today

In a press conference this afternoon, Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé announced a new wave of closures due to a massive spike in daily case numbers in the province, and the rise of the Omicron variant. As leaked this morning, primary and secondary schools will have to shut down and a mandatory work-from-home order is being implemented as of Tuesday, and as Dubé has confirmed, movie theatres, gyms, spas, sports centres and venues, bars, performance venues and casinos across Quebec will also be closing as of 5 p.m. today. Capacity limits of 50% had already been imposed on bars, restaurants and retail stores last week, and those measures came into effect today.

In addition, restaurant hours will be limited, with closing time set at 10 p.m. Daycares will also remain open.

Santé Québec reported 4,571 new cases of COVID-19 across the province this morning, another daily record since the start of the pandemic.

1/2 La situation demeure critique. On voit les nouveaux cas et les hospitalisations qui continuent d'augmenter très rapidement. On doit tout faire pour éviter que notre système de santé déborde. pic.twitter.com/FZHoW2SWCO

— François Legault (@francoislegault) December 20, 2021

There is no update to the rollout of booster shots. Dubé and public health director Horacio Arruda say that more staff is required to organize another round of mass vaccination.

This article was originally published at 1:15 p.m. and updated at 3:39 p.m.

For more on the COVID-19 situation in Quebec, please click here.

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