The Québec Government has decided to reimpose certain restrictions on business because of the sharp increase in COVID-19 cases associated with the Omicron variant.
The restrictions on business include the following:
- capacity limits are restricted for businesses and commercial centres based upon their square footage; mandatory face covering and physical distancing rules remain;
- activities in the following are now suspended:
- bars, discotheques, casinos, microbreweries and distilleries (for beverage consumption), cinemas, rooms and halls for indoor performing arts, events and shows, spas and saunas except for personal care services;
- arcades and indoor activities at biodomes, planetariums, insectariums, botanical gardens, aquariums, zoos, thematic sites, amusement centres and parks, recreational centres and water parks;
- public indoor places for games of bowling, darts, billiards or similar games.
- restaurants are restricted to operating at 50% capacity; dining room hours are limited to 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.;
- remote working is mandatory whenever possible with distancing and masks mandatory for those working on-site.
Québec requires a vaccination passport for non-essential activities and businesses as set out below.
Rapid antigen tests for personal use are being made available at no cost with limits on the number of tests each person may obtain.
The Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail has modified the recommended measures for workplaces throughout Québec (for a summary in French, see here).
Detailed Information
Since October 2020, the Government of Québec has tightened and loosened restrictions on businesses as COVID-19 cases increased and diminished. Most of the restrictions on businesses were lifted last month throughout Québec (with continuing special measures in force in Terres-cries-de-la-Baie-James and in Nunavik). Certain restrictions have now been reimposed.
Québec’s public health state of emergency continues to be extended (currently to December 24, 2021) by the Québec Minister of Health and Social Services, who is empowered under this order to take measures necessary to protect public health.
This post highlights the restrictions on business and will be updated as Québec’s pandemic response evolves. For the Government summary of the restrictions on other activities such as education, sports and meetings (and others), see here (click on headings on the left).
Vaccine Passports
Since September 1, 2021, Québec requires a vaccination passport for non-essential activities and businesses. The vaccination passport is mandatory for everyone 13 and older.
The vaccine passport indicates that a person is “adequately protected” against COVID-19 and allows those aged 13 and up to gain admittance to certain locations and non-essential activities where the risk of transmission is considered to be higher. Photo ID is required. The full list of places and activities which will require the vaccine passport is available here.
The passport is not required for access to essential services such as education (primary, secondary or post-secondary). It is also not required for museums and libraries.
For more information on the vaccine passport and how to obtain it, see here.
Restrictions on Businesses: See the Government Summary of all the Restrictions here (click through to subject areas covered).
Closed (activities suspended)
- arcades and, for their indoor activities, biodomes, planetariums, insectariums, botanical gardens, aquariums, zoos, thematic sites, amusement centres and parks, recreational centres and water parks;
- bars and discotheques;
- casinos and gaming houses;
- movie theaters and rooms or halls in which performing arts are presented, including broadcast venues;
- microbreweries and distilleries, only for services in connection with consumption of beverages on the premises;
- restaurant dining rooms but only from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. the next day;
- food counters and food courts in any place where recreational or sports activities are carried on;
- physical training rooms;
- saunas and spas, except for personal care provided in the sauna or spa;
- any indoor place, other than a private residence or its equivalent, when being used for games of bowling, darts, billiard or other games of the same nature.
Open (capacity limits and mandatory face coverings for those 10 years and older)
- Stores and commercial establishments
- capacity limits: 50% of capacity allowing 1 client per 20 m2 of sales area applicable in stores, traffic areas and food courts;
- longer opening hours permitted on Boxing Day including for big box food establishments: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.;
- personal care services such as hairdressers, massage therapists, etc.: customer traffic limited to 50% capacity.
- Museums and libraries
- physical distancing to be maintained.
- Drive-ins
- maximum 5,000 people per show;
- cars spaced so a distance of 1 metre between people laterally may be maintained.
Nunavik and Terres-cries-de-la-Baie-James
For information about the measures in force in Nunavik and Terres-cries-de-la-Baie-James, consult the websites of the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services and the Cree Board of Health and Social Services of James Bay.
Fines
Those failing to respect the COVID-19 public health measures such as vaccine passports, social distancing, and face coverings (among others) may be subject to fines.
Going Forward
As set out here, the Government of Québec has reimposed certain restrictions in response to a rapid increase in Covid cases and will continue to monitor the situation closely. This post is updated regularly when the Government rules are modified.
