Here is a breakdown of what's reopening in Quebec
As expected, provinces are beginning to announce their plans to lift public health restrictions as the Omicron wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is subsiding after peaking in early January.
On Feb. 8, Quebec Premier François Legault revealed the province’s plan to reopen, much to the relief of businesses and citizens alike after two years of the coronavirus pandemic. He said with hospitalizations declining, public health signed off on removing restrictions as a "calculated risk" and that Quebecers will have to "learn to live with the virus."
Since the announcement, the province has announced other changes to the reopening plan, including the phasing out of the vaccine passport by March 12 and the face mask mandate by "mid-April." However, the province recommends people hold onto their proof of vaccination in case it is still needed for domestic and international travel.
Here’s a breakdown of Quebec’s plan to lift more lockdown measures in the weeks ahead.
FEB. 7
- Cinemas, concert halls and indoor events can operate at 50 per cent capacity or a maximum of 500 people. Proof of vaccination is required and there is no intermission allowed.
- Drive-in theatres can operate with cars parked a minimum of one metre apart and a maximum of 5,000 people per show.
- Concert halls and indoor event venues can operate at 50 per cent capacity. Proof of vaccination required. Outdoor events can operate with a 1,000 person capacity.
- Places of worship will be permitted to operate with a 50 per cent capacity and a maximum of 250 people. Proof of vaccination required.
- Funerals are permitted with a maximum of 50 people. No proof of vaccination is required.
FEB. 12
- No limit for private gatherings, though the recommendation is to keep it at 10 people or people from three households
- Restaurants can seat up to 10 people or people from three different addresses per table
- All caregivers can visit a loved one in a group home with a vaccine passport
FEB. 14
- Gyms and spas can reopen at 50 per cent capacity
- Indoor sports and recreation activities, as well as games, can resume for everyone, including college and university sports (change rooms are limited to 50 per cent capacity)
- Competitions and tournaments remain prohibited
- Indoor golf facilities and climbing gyms can open at 50 per cent capacity
- Outdoor shows can host up to 5,000 people
FEB. 16
- The vaccine passport will no longer be required for big box stores (larger than 1,500 square metres), SAQ stores, and SQDC stores
FEB. 21
- The vaccine passport will no longer be required for places of worship and funerals
- Places of worship can accommodate up to 500 people, up from the maximum of 250
- All stores will be allowed to open at 100 per cent capacity
- Amphitheatres can operate at 50 per cent capacity
- Theatres and showrooms will be allowed to open at 50 per cent capacity, including the Bell Centre and the Videotron Centre
- Reopening of recreation centres, such as arcades, water parks, amusement parks, at 50 per cent capacity
- Conventions and assemblies can resume at half capacity or max. of 500 people
- Social events in a rented room can accommodate up to 50 people with a vaccine passport
- Wakes or viewings of ashes of a loved can allow a maximum of 50 people at a time
FEB. 28
- Teleworking will no longer be mandatory, but is still recommended
- Restaurants must close by 1 a.m. and respect last call for alcohol at midnight
- Bars, pool halls and casinos can open with 50 per cent capacity, but with no dancing and karaoke and they must close by 1 a.m. and respect last call for alcohol at midnight (everyone must be seated)
- Places of worship and showrooms can open at 100 per cent capacity
- Sports competitions and tournaments will be allowed with no participant limits
- Theatres, cinemas, and some sports venues can operate at full capacity (except for venues with more than 10,000 people)
MARCH 7
- Face maks will no longer be mandatory in schools or daycares when seated
MARCH 12
- All public places can operate at 100 per cent capacity
- The vaccine passport will no longer be required in places where it was previously mandatory
- Bars can allow dancing and karaoke
- Restrictions on seating at tables in restaurants, bars, tavers, and casinos will be lifted, and they can operate under normal operating hours
- "Activities in a social nature" in a rented room can resume normally without capacity limits
- Private seniors' residences will no longer need to keep a registry of visitors
MID-APRIL
- The face mask mandate will be lifted across Quebec by "mid-April" except for public transportation, Quebec announced on March 2. A specific date was not provided.
EARLY MAY
- Face masks will be no longer mandatory on public tansport "at the earliest in May," according to the province. A specific date was not provided.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Beyonce becomes most decorated artist in Grammys history; Harry Styles wins album of the year
Beyonce sits alone atop the Grammy throne as the ceremony's most decorated artist in history, but at the end of Sunday's show it was Harry Styles who walked away with the album of the year honour.

First tank sent by Canada for Ukrainian forces arrives in Poland
The first of the Leopard 2 tanks Canada is donating to Ukrainian forces has arrived in Poland.
Advocates come together to help sailors stuck for months on tugboats in Quebec port
Groups that advocate for seafarers are expressing concern for 11 sailors who are spending a harsh Quebec winter aboard three tugboats that have been detained for months in the port of Trois-Rivières.
At least 200 dead as powerful 7.8 earthquake hits Turkiye, Syria
A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southern Turkiye and northern Syria early Monday, toppling buildings and triggering a frantic search for survivors in the rubble in cities and towns across the area. At least 207 were killed and hundreds injured, and the toll was expected to rise.
Drake, Michael Buble, Tobias Jesso Jr. among Canadian Grammy winners
Canadian pop favourites Michael Bublé and Drake each have a shiny new Grammy on their shelves, while singer-songwriter Tobias Jesso Jr. has two, thanks in part to Harry Styles.
'Natural power': 17-year-old undefeated Quebec boxer gears up for Canada Games
She started throwing punches to get exercise during the COVID-19 pandemic, but now 17-year-old Talia Birch is gearing up to compete in the Canada Games as it opens up to female boxers for the first time
31,000 cards: Montreal woman passing along father's extensive collection of Expos baseball cards
A Montreal woman is passing along her father's extensive collection of over 31,000 Expos baseball cards. April Whitzman's father, Steve Whitzman, collected the cards from 1969 to 2016. A huge Expos fan, he's got every player covered.
Charles Kimbrough, best known for role in 'Murphy Brown,' dies at 86
Charles Kimbrough, a Tony- and Emmy-nominated actor who played a straight-laced news anchor opposite Candice Bergen on “Murphy Brown,” died Jan. 11 in Culver City, California. He was 86.
New study highlights increasing prevalence of muscle dysmorphia among Canadian boys, young men
Canadian researchers are drawing attention to the increasing prevalence of 'a pathological pursuit of muscularity' among Canadian boys and young men, with a new study that found one in four were at risk of developing what's known as muscle dysmorphia.