More rules to be relaxed on Monday as Montreal becomes a yellow zone
Montrealers will have a new COVID-19 alert level on Monday and it will be all yellow.
Quebec's deconfinement plan is set to move forward and the change will come with a further loosening of restrictions, a week after the city went from red to orange.
So while Montrealers may just be getting used to dining on restaurant terrasses again and eating in dining rooms for the first time in almost a year, now bars, too, will be able to serve clients indoors, albeit limited to 50 per cent capacity.
“Many of us suffered economic loss that will take two or three years to come back from,” said Quebec Bar Owners Association spokesperson Jean-Jacques Beauchamp. “It's not every bar owner who has a terrasse. Some of us who do have a terrasse did not re-open because profitability was not there.”
There are other restrictions bar owners are facing, such as last call coming at 11 p.m. and doors needing to be closed by midnight. Beauchamp said that's a big problem with the Canadiens in the midst of a playoff run that will see them playing games on the west coast.
“The game starts at 9 p.m., takes roughly an hour per period, which brings us to midnight,” he said. “The third period will not be over at midnight.”
The Bar Owners Association recently wrote a letter to Premier Francois Legault asking permission to stay open until 2 a.m. for the Habs' first two games against Las Vegas. On Sunday, Legault responded by saying “I think we'll have to see with public health... if we can extend these hours.”
Other relaxed measures include permission to hold indoor gatherings between two households or eight people.
Psychologist Syd Miller said that the new freedom will go a long way for some.
“If I'm not particularly an anxious person, if I've never really had many of these issues, then really, just getting out and socializing is therapy,” he said.
But others could be facing some new issues as they enter the post-lockdown period.
“For those who have traditionally had more anxiety and social anxiety, the lockdown has been much worse. Because these were people who were nervous about being out in public, nervous about socializing,” he said. “For them to start feeling better, they're going to need to perhaps engage in some therapy, do some therapy with themselves to overcome what was already a problem before the pandemic.”
The change in alert level also applies to Laval and the South Shore.
Quebec's deconfinement plan currently calls for most of the province's regions to further relax to green alert levels by the end of the month.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.