Premier Francois Legault called the new measures “shock therapy,” which will be begin on January 9 and last until at least February 8.

The new measures will include the following:

An 8.00 pm to 5.00 am curfew that will be enforced across the entire province with fines from $1,000-$6,000 who break the rules (essential workers and those walking dogs near their home will be offered exceptions).

• Closing of grocery and convenience stores by 7.30pm each day
• Closing of all places of worship
• Closure of all non-essential workplaces and businesses
• Closure of all restaurants and gyms (restaurant curbside pickup services will be available)
• No public gatherings either or indoor or outdoor with people outside the immediate household

The following sectors will be allowed to remain open but under specific guidelines

• Daycare centres
• Elementary Schools (grade 5 and 6 students mandated to wear masks)
• High schools (reopening after January 18 with students and staff provide government issue masks twice daily)
• Construction and manufacturing businesses (provided they produce goods that are deemed essential)

Ontario, which along with Quebec has seen the greatest number of COVID cases during the second wave of the pandemic, is also considering even stricter lockdown measures including the closure of schools, following a province-wide lockdown introduced on December 26.

Elsewhere in Canada, COVID-19 cases have been rising. As of January 6, Atlantic Canada reported 31 new cases in New Brunswick (prompting a request for tighter restrictions in the province), 12 in Nova Scotia and four in PEI.

Further west, Manitoba saw 176 new cases, Saskatchewan 277, Alberta 1,123 and British Columbia, 625 new cases. A single new case was also reported in the Yukon Territory.