Legault Says Stores Might Still Reopen On May 25 If More Montrealers Wear Masks
More mask-wearing "could convince" officials to keep the May 25 date.
Premier François Legault announced that officials "aren't excluding" the possibility of making masks mandatory on public transit. He also announced that Montreal stores are still tentatively projected to reopen on May 25, even as he moved to cancel the remainder of the school year in the metropolitan community. But he stressed that the situation in the city must improve before businesses can open their doors to the public.
Meanwhile, Quebec has surpassed 40,000 COVID-19 cases.
The province reported 793 more confirmed cases — for a total of 40,724 as of May 14 — and another 131 deaths, for a total of 3,351.
Legault further stated that evidence of more widespread mask-wearing could play a part in determining when Montreal retail opens.
"If we see in Montreal more use of masks including in grocery stores, that could convince public health to open businesses on May 25."
"We know that the situation is under control outside of Montreal, but it remains fragile here," he said.
"I know it's been hard for people living in the Montreal region. Thank you for your discipline and thank you for your patience. I'm counting on you all."
Elsewhere in the province, retail establishments with their own entrances from the outside opened on May 4. Elementary schools and daycares reopened on May 11.
The decision to postpone the reopening of elementary schools in the metropolitan community to the beginning of the next school year puts them on the same schedule as high schools, cégeps, and universities.
Some Montreal universities have said they will still host classes online in the fall semester.
64,3% of COVID-19-related deaths in the province have occurred in the Montreal region, according to the Institut national de santé publique (INSPQ).
Case numbers in several boroughs also continue to climb.
As of May 12, seven boroughs count over 1,000 total cases: Ahuntsic–Cartierville (1,671), Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (1,633), Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve (1,591), Montréal-Nord (1,857), Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles (1,561), Rosemont–La Petite Patrie (1,126), and Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension (1,435).
Stay tuned for more news.