Quebec announces plan to reopen restaurants, cinemas in coming weeks | CBC News

Restaurants will once again be allowed to reopen at half capacity as of Monday, Jan. 31. Up to four people from four different addresses or a maximum of two family bubbles will be allowed to share a table.

The same numbers will apply to indoor private gatherings, which will be allowed as of next Monday after being banned since New Year’s Eve, when the government introduced sudden, sweeping restrictions in an effort to curb the spread of the Omicron variant.

During the news conference, the premier said hospitalizations in the province were slowly going down, and there are reasons to believe they will continue to do so in the coming days.

“The idea is to go gradually,” Legault said when describing the loosened restrictions.

“I understand that people are fed up, but we need to take a prudent approach.”

Youth sports will also get a breath of fresh air.

As of Jan. 31, all extracurricular sports will be permitted in elementary schools, high schools, CEGEPs and universities. Organized sports outside of school will be allowed only for Quebecers under the age of 18. A maximum of 25 participants will be allowed. Practices will be permitted but competitive matches are still on hold.

The Montreal Botanical Garden, the Biodôme, the Planetarium as well as cafeterias in ski chalets will also be allowed to reopen at 50 per cent capacity next Monday.

They all require a vaccination passport for access.

On Tuesday, the Quebec government reported a total of 3,278 hospitalizations. Health Minister Christian Dubé said the newest projections, that have not yet been shared publicly, will show that the number of people in hospital could drop to about 2,300 over the next two weeks.

The province’s public health network is short about 12,000 workers.

Movies, plays, worship

Cinemas and theatres will also be allowed to reopen as of Feb. 7 — a week after restaurants — though also at half capacity, with a maximum of 500 people per room.

Places of worship are also allowed to reopen as of Feb. 7 but, with a few exceptions, they must be at half capacity, with a maximum of 250 people. Vaccination passports will be required for entry.

A maximum of 50 people will be allowed for funerals, though the proof of vaccination will not be mandatory for “humanitarian reasons,” the premier said.

But gyms and bars will still have to wait. No date for reopening them has been put forward, with officials saying the situation in the province’s hospitals is still too critical.

Bars in the province have been closed since Dec. 20, leading some to consider reopening in defiance of public health mandates. 

In an open letter released Tuesday, the Nouvelle Association des Bars du Québec, which represents bar owners in the province, asked interim public health director Dr. Luc Boileau to allow them to reopen a week from Friday, on Feb. 11. 

That date would allow bar owners “to restock adequately and call back the personnel necessary” to reopen, the letter read.

On Tuesday, Legault mentioned gyms and spas when talking about the next step of the reopening plan.

“Public Health tells us that it will come in a third phase [of the reopening],” said Legault regarding gyms and spas.

“As soon as we are able to get more certainty regarding the situation in hospitals.”

The premier did not mention bars in his opening statement.

The Quebec government also did not provide a timeline for when the vaccine passport will be expanded to require three doses. The premier has said in the past it would happen only once everyone has had the opportunity to get their third dose. Currently, all adults are eligible.

The passport is currently required to access non-essential services such as restaurants and cinemas, in addition to larger retailers and the province’s government-run liquor store, the SAQ. It is not required for grocery stores or pharmacies.