Quebec to limit private gatherings to 6 people as of Boxing Day

Quebec Premier François Legault says that beginning Boxing Day, gatherings inside homes will be limited to six people or two family bubbles.

Restaurants, which are already operating at half capacity and have to close at 10 p.m., will also have to limit groups at tables to six people or two families.

Legault says the “exponential” increase in COVID-19 cases over the past week is continuing and Quebec has recorded about 9,000 cases today, which will be reported in Thursday’s official numbers.

Earlier this week, the province abruptly closed bars, gyms and schools and warned that further restrictions could be coming while awaiting projections on the spread of the virus and its impact on hospitalizations.

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Quebec reported a record 6,361 new COVID-19 cases this morning, with surging case counts pushing the province well past 500,000 infections since the pandemic began.

In addition to two further deaths, hospitalizations jumped by 30 to 445, with 88 of those patients listed in intensive care – unchanged from the previous day.

Legault wrote on Twitter Tuesday that Quebec faces “very difficult choices” and said the government’s decisions would be announced Wednesday. On Monday, the province abruptly closed bars, gyms and schools and warned that further restrictions could be coming, depending on new projections on the spread of the virus and its impact on hospitalizations.

This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship.

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