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
Trump charged over classified documents in 1st federal indictment of an ex-president
Donald Trump said Thursday that he has been indicted on charges of mishandling classified documents at his Florida estate, igniting a federal prosecution that is arguably the most perilous of multiple legal threats against the former U.S. president as he seeks to reclaim the White House.

Freeland's budget bill passes House after Poilievre pledges to block it
The federal budget implementation bill passed the House of Commons on Thursday, after days of Conservative attempts to block it.
Supreme Court of Canada won't hear unvaccinated woman's case for organ donation
The Supreme Court of Canada will not hear the appeal of an Alberta woman who was unwilling to be vaccinated in order to get a life-saving organ transplant.
Special rapporteur David Johnston cuts ties with crisis management firm Navigator
Canada's special rapporteur on foreign interference has ended ties with crisis communications firm Navigator, his office confirmed on Thursday.
How the lack of gravity in space impacts astronauts’ brain
What happens to the brain when you take gravity away? According to a new study looking at astronauts both before and after space travel, that experience causes physical changes that researchers believe requires at least three years between longer missions to recover from.
Are more interest rate hikes on the way? Here's what experts say
In the wake of the Bank of Canada’s unexpected rate hike, economists are pointing to further tightening in the near term.
'Tremendous amount we could be doing': Expert shares tips for preventing, adapting to wildfires
As wildfires rage across Canada in what’s being called an unprecedented season, one expert says there’s more that individuals and communities can do to adapt and prevent forest fires from causing widespread devastation.
10-year-old girl survives more than 24 hours alone in the rugged Cascade mountains after getting lost while out with her family
Rescuers in Washington state are praising the resourcefulness of a 10-year-old girl who survived on her own for more than 24 hours in the rugged terrain of the Cascade mountains after getting lost while out with her family.
Wildfire battles continue as heat, air quality alerts affect most of Canada
Air pollution from wildfires remained well above healthy levels across much of southern and northern Ontario and several communities in British Columbia and Alberta on Thursday.