Quebec Is Suspending Elementary & High School Classes

In case you missed it, Health Minister Christian Dubé announced a wave of new COVID-19 rules during a press conference on December 20.

Starting Tuesday, "classes will be suspended" for Quebec elementary and high schools, adult training centres and professional training centres, Dubé confirmed.

The return to in-person classes will be postponed until January 10. Any classes before January 10 will have to take place remotely.

Elementary schools will remain open strictly for the distribution of rapid tests and the vaccination of children.

Daycares will also remain accessible until the holiday break for parents who need them, Dubé said.

Otherwise, starting at 5 p.m. on Monday, December 20, the provincial government is closing bars, taverns, casinos, cinemas and concert halls. Gyms and spas are also ordered to close for everything but personal care services.

This new list of health rules comes just days after the government announced an initial set of regulations that included 50% capacity limits for bars and many venues. Those rules came into force on Monday but will be trumped by the new rules taking at 5 p.m.

Remember when Premier François Legault said we'd be able to be 20 people for indoor private gatherings during the holidays? That plan died out too with the emergence of the Omicron variant. Indoor private gatherings will continue to be limited to 10 people.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.

This is a developing story. Check back for more details.