Premier Legault announces curfew in Québec to counter continued climb in COVID-19 cases

In response to continually high increases of COVID-19 cases across Québec, Premier François Legault announced a provincewide curfew on Wednesday afternoon.

The curfew will begin on Saturday, January 9 and be in effect from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. nightly.  The curfew is to last four weeks, until February 8.  All citizens are required to stay home during that time.

Other measures announced by Legault on Wednesday afternoon include continued closure of bars, restaurants, theatres, and gyms.

Non-essential businesses will be closed, but curbside pick-up will be available.

Grocery stores and depanneurs will be required to close nightly at 7:30 p.m.

Elementary schools will reopen on January 11, but students in grades five and six will be required to wear masks.

Secondary schools across Québec will remain closed until January 18.

Legault described the measures as “shock therapy” for the worsening COVID-19 situation across Québec.

The fine for breaking the curfew in Québec will range from $1,000 to $6,000.

According to the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ), there were 24,603 active cases of COVID-19 across Québec as of Tuesday, January 5.  There were 217,999 cumulative cases and 184,904 resolved cases as of Tuesday, January 5.

Overall, there were 2,302 new cases of COVID-19 across Québec as of January 5.

There were 1,393 COVID-19 patients in hospital across Québec as of January 5, and 202 of those patients were in intensive care.

There had been 8,488 confirmed deaths due to COVID-19 across Québec as of January 5.

Argenteuil situation

COVID-19 cases across the MRC d’Argenteuil remain among the lowest across Québec and the lowest across the Laurentides region.  The case numbers in Argenteuil increased from 15 on January 5, to 17 active cases on January 6.  There had been 350 cumulative cases of COVID-19 in Argenteuil as of Wednesday.  Across the entire Laurentides region of Québec, there were 1,064 active cases of COVID-19 as of January 6.

The number of deaths due to COVID-19 in Argenteuil remained at 12 as of January 6.

As of Monday, no cases of COVID-19 were listed at long-term care facilities or retirement residences across the MRC d`Argenteuil.

The CISSS des Laurentides will open a new COVID-19 testing clinic in Lachute.

It will open on Tuesday, January 19 at 634 rue Lafleur in Lachute.  It will be open on Tuesdays from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., and on Wednesdays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.