Quebec Restaurants, Bars & Stores Will Drop To 50% Capacity, Per New Government Rules

At a press conference on Thursday evening, Quebec Premier François Legault announced new Quebec health measures as COVID-19 cases continue to skyrocket across the province thanks to the emergence of the Omicron variant.

Starting on Monday, December 20, all restaurants, bars, theatres, shops, places of worship and concert halls will be limited to 50% capacity.

Legault also announced that karaoke, dancing, and office parties will be banned.

As for holiday gatherings, the province is reversing its plan to expand private gathering capacity to 20 vaccinated people as of December 23. Instead, capacity in homes will remain at 10 people.

But the premier still called on people to be careful and only gather if necessary.

Quebec reported 2,736 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, the most in a single day since early January 2021.

On Wednesday, Montreal officials called on the population to exercise extra care in their application of public health advice ahead of the expected continuing increase in case numbers.

"The current situation in Montreal is not really what we were planning or expecting two weeks before Christmas," Regional Public Health Director Dr. Mylène Drouin said.

"I think it commands us to be more agile and resilient facing the Omicron situation."

Health Canada has a robust website with all the latest information on COVID-19 vaccines and can answer any questions you may have.

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