MONTREAL -- With the sun shining down on Montrealers in recent days and talk of a 'one dose summer' being bandied around by political leaders, many in the city are still wondering what the season ahead will look like.
Red zone restaurant dining rooms and terraces remain closed and the 9:30 curfew is still in effect in Montreal, even as temperatures have reached into the mid-20s and the days get longer. On Sunday, many residents were enjoying the good vibes out on the Lachine Canal. Despite the ongoing restrictions, one person told CTV News they're maintaining their optimism.
“More and more people are getting vaccinated and people, more and more, are looking for that taste of normalcy. But I think we are going to proceed with caution.”
“I hope they open up terraces and give people a chance to recover from a year-and-a-half of imprisonment,” said another warm weather reveler.
Recent federal guidelines for the spring, summer and fall have hinted that terraces may re-open when 75 per cent of the population have received their first dose of the COVID vaccines. Under those conditions, picnics may be possible as well.
As of Sunday, 48.2 per cent of Quebecers have received their first dose. The province's vaccine plan calls for 75 per cent of Quebec adults to have received their first dose by June 24.
As the United States has begun their own re-opening, including removing mask mandates for people who have been fully vaccinated, many Montrealers were wondering when their own return to normalcy will begin.
“Mask, gloves, sanitizer on everyting... You know, it's time to slowly remove all this,” said Eleonora Messa.
