Quebec shuts down schools, bars, gyms and more as COVID-19 case counts soar

Quebec is closing schools, bars, gyms and movie theatres as public health officials race to slow the spread of the Omicron variant. 

Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé said in the face of the variant, which appears to be doubling its spread every couple days, the government had to take action to prevent the health-care system from being overwhelmed. 

"The epidemiological situation is critical. The community spread is astounding," said Dubé during the Monday news conference, appearing from home alongside public health director Dr. Horacio Arruda and Daniel Paré, who is in charge of Quebec's vaccination campaign. 

"Our health system is already in crisis … and things aren't getting better. Hospitalizations and intensive care unit admissions are on the rise."

Elementary and high schools will close at the end of the day Monday, with students only set to return to in-person learning on Jan. 10. That means primary school students will have a longer holiday, and high school students will switch to remote learning when classes are set to resume in the New Year.

Adult and professional education centres will also close. 

Elementary school buildings will remain open only for vaccination campaigns and the distribution of rapid test kits. School daycare services will also continue to operate for parents who need them, prioritizing parents who work in the health-care sector. Private and provincially-run daycares will also remain open.

Bars, gyms, movie theatres, concert venues and spas must close as of 5 p.m. Monday. Restaurants will have to reduce their capacity to 50 per cent and limit their hours from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Professional sports games will have to be played without spectators.

Working from home is now being mandated for all non-essential workers, including civil servants. The provincial government is pausing all ministerial public activities, such as news conferences that are not related to COVID-19. 

Dubé said more measures could be announced in the coming days.

Gatherings of up to 10 people from a maximum of three households are still permitted, but not recommended — and that number could change, officials warned.

"What we're asking is that you limit your contacts to absolute minimum," said the health minister.

Hours before the announcement, Quebec reported a record number of cases for the past 24 hours, with 4,571 new cases, three more deaths and 21 more people in hospital. 

Hospitalizations, at 397, are already higher than half of the province's capacity, which is at 671. Dubé said the system's low capacity is not due to a lack of beds, but a serious lack of personnel, many of whom are on leave or have left altogether.