Quebec Is Not Going To Set Up Checkpoints To Stop Travel Between Orange & Red Zones
Deputy Premier Geneviève Guilbault confirmed on February 3, that police would not be setting up travel checkpoints between Quebec orange zones and red zones.
The press conference came a day after Premier François Legault announced a lifting of some COVID-19 public health measures in Quebec orange zones, including the reopening of restaurants and gyms in just six regions.
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Public health does not recommend that we [set-up] checkpoints at this time.
Deputy Premier Geneviève Guilbault
Guilbault cited limited police resources and public health authority recommendations as justification for the decision to forgo checkpoints.
"Our police officers are very, very busy right now ... [and] are very useful during the curfew and the quarantine," she said, noting that since January 10, Quebec police have dished out almost 7,000 COVID-19-related tickets.
"It's a question of priority of action ... There are 15,000 police officers in Quebec for [a population of] eight million."
The deputy premier said the government continually relies on the "good faith" of Quebecers, adding that the province's COVID-19 situation has improved recently.
"Traveling between regions is heavily, heavily discouraged. We ask to not travel from one region to another except [when] having an excellent reason to do so," she said.
"Are there people who will find a way, probably, to [travel] anyways? No doubt ... But the overall message is that the measures are working so far."