COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec

The province of Quebec confirmed its first case of COVID-19 on February 27. The patient was a 41-year-old woman who had returned to Montreal from Iran three days earlier on a flight from Doha, Qatar.[26][27][28] She was transferred to the Jewish General Hospital on March 3, and was released on March 4.[29][30] Following her release, she remained in isolation at her home in Verdun, Quebec.[31] By March 12, 17 cases had been confirmed.[32]

1,467 8,755 21,319 12,154 10,534 93,447 5,809 703 340 87 1,686 10,911 21,901 18,528 14,415 37,559 [37] [111] ATLANTIC OCEAN Hudson Bay James Bay Ungava Bay Gulf of Saint Lawrence Number of cases by health region, as of January 29, 2021           Regions denoted by square brackets have regional police roadblocks and/or restricted air access to prevent non-essential travel towards the region. Source: Government of Quebec

On March 13, following the announcement of restrictions on public gatherings by Premier François Legault, precautionary cancellations of public events and facilities began to emerge province-wide.[33][34][35][36][37][38][39] On March 14, Premier Legault officially declared a public health emergency, lasting at least ten days. This measure granted him powers under the Public Health Act to enforce mitigation measures.[40][41] Frustrated by inaction of the federal government, the public health director and the Mayor of Montreal dispatched employees to Montréal–Trudeau International Airport to advise travellers arriving from international destinations to self-isolate for 14 days.[42]

On March 19, Minister of Health and Social Services Danielle McCann suspended orders made by the Court of Quebec that allowed children under the Director of Youth Protection (CDPDJ) to maintain physical contact with their biological parents.[43] On the same day, it was announced that Quebec residents in isolation or quarantine who are not covered by any benefits may apply for $573 per week of financial aid for a maximum of 14 days.[44] The government also announced that it would extend the income tax filing deadline, and inject $2.5 billion into companies suffering liquidity problems due to the pandemic. It also asked Quebec citizens not to travel between regions. The city of Montreal announced that it would be extending its tax deadline and unveiled a $5 million emergency fund to support small and medium-size businesses.[45]

Physical distancing measures increased residential electricity demand by 2.3% and lowered commercial demand by 3.1% from March 13 to March 19, according to an Hydro-Québec spokesman.[46]

During a cabinet meeting on March 20, the government extended Quebec's health emergency order-in-council for at least 10 more days.[47]

On April 7, Quebec released a model projecting that the province would see as few as 1,263 to as many as 8,860 deaths from COVID-19 by the end of the month, depending on the epidemic curve.[48]

On April 24, Premier Legault stated that "outside of the senior residences, distancing measures are working", and announced plans to unveil strategies for phasing out the province's current restrictions on commerce and reopening schools. He noted that the province would have to ensure that they are able to "restart the economy without restarting the pandemic".[49]

On June 24, due to relative decreases in the rate of new cases, new health minister Christian Dubé (who assumed the post as part of a cabinet shuffle) announced plans to release new case numbers weekly beginning June 26, rather than daily. The move faced criticism (including from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who urged the Premier to continue being "transparent and open" in its data), leading the province to backtrack and continue releasing numbers daily. Quebec's Director of Public Health Horacio Arruda stated that the he had misjudged how the public would react to the change, and that he did not mind continuing with daily updates.[50]

On July 17, Quebec retroactively changed its methodology for determining recoveries, stating that its previous method (which did not consider non-hospitalized cases to be recoveries unless proof of their recovery was received) had "significantly underestimated" the total count, and was inconsistent with methodologies used in other provinces. This led to a one-time addition of 23,686 recoveries, and the reduction of active cases from 27,603 to 1,556.[51]

In late-August 2020, Legault and other officials ruled out adoption of the national COVID Alert Exposure Notification app in the province at this time, citing privacy concerns and existing contact tracing capabilities. Legault also expressed an objection to using software primarily developed in Ontario, as Montreal was "one of the best centres in the world" for artificial intelligence development.[52]

On September 8, 2020, the Mayor of Longueil Sylvie Parent tested positive for COVID-19.[53]

On September 28, amid a major spike in cases in Greater Montreal, Quebec City, and Chaudiere-Appalaches, Premier Legault announced that restrictions would be instated in multiple areas of the province (under a Level 4 "red" alert under the regional alert and intervention system) effective midnight on October 1, including restrictions on private gatherings and certain lines of high-risk businesses (particularly dine-in restaurants, bars, and casinos).[54]

In a September 30 clampdown, Quebec gave police the legal powers "to enter homes quickly to stop gatherings during COVID-19". Police officers "will be able to obtain warrants faster through a new, virtual system that was established in collaboration with the Crown... Normally the process for obtaining a warrant can take a day or two, but that won't work when police want to break up parties that very same evening," said Premier Legault. Public Security Minister Geneviève Guilbault said "We had to give the police the means to intervene." She said that the right to peaceful protest "without masks cannot be tolerated" and she is not ruling out using force to disperse protests if needed. "Eventually, we will cross that bridge when we get there," she said.[55]

The next day, Quebec reversed its earlier objections and announced that it would plan to join COVID Alert, with Dubé arguing that it would be quicker to adopt a platform that was already available than to commission one from local developers.[56] Quebec officially joined the app on October 5; Premier Legault emphasized that the more people using the app, "the more successful we will be and the faster we can go back to a normal way of life.".[57]

On October 5, the government announced new measures for regions in the red zone including closing gyms, prohibiting team sports, and requiring that high school students wear masks.[58] The next day, the province recorded 1,364 new cases, its largest increase to-date. Dubé emphasized that residents must reduce social contacts and stay home in order to reduce the spread, stating that "I'm glad that we were ready because of the severity and speed of the second wave, but we cannot control how people react to the measures."[59]

On November 19, Premier Legault announced that restrictions would be loosened for Christmas. Specifically, private gatherings of up to 10 people would be permitted from December 24 to December 27.[60] However, while cases had largely remained stable throughout November at around 1,200 cases per day, the end of the month saw a significant rise in cases and hospitalizations. Consequently, on December 3 the government rolled back their permissions on holiday gatherings in red zones. This meant that holiday celebrations would be restricted to one's own family "bubble", defined as those who live at the same address.[61] An exception was made for single-parent households and people who live alone, who were permitted to join one other family's bubble between December 17 and January 10, 2021.[62]

As the pandemic continued to worsen in the province, with new cases regularly exceeding 1,500 cases per day, the Quebec government decided to order the closure of non-essential stores from December 25 to January 11, 2021, when most other restrictions were expected to be lifted. The opening of both elementary and high schools was also delayed by a week, to January 11.[63]

Two days before New Year's Eve, Quebec registered 2,870 cases, the highest since the beginning of the pandemic. Faced with the ineffectiveness of current measures to curb the spread of the virus, Legault announced on January 6 that the lockdown would be extended for another four weeks and a curfew from 8:00 p.m to 5:00 a.m would be in effect starting January 9. Essential stores would have to close by 7:30 p.m and those caught contravening the curfew could face fines of up to $6,000, with exceptions made for health emergencies and essential workers travelling for work reasons. People would also be able to walk their dog within a one kilometre radius of their house. Additionally, although elementary schools would open as planned on January 11, high schools would remain closed until January 18.[64][65] Legault defended the decision by saying that "the situation in our hospitals is critical, especially in Montreal. There are too many visits in homes."[66]

On February 2, Premier Legault announced that in response to the decline in cases, certain restrictions would be lifted starting on February 8. Notably, non-essential stores, hair salons and museums throughout the province would be able to reopen. Universities and CEGEPs would also have the opportunity to gradually return to in-person classes. In orange zones, which currently comprise about 10% of the Quebec population, the curfew would begin at 9:30 p.m instead of 8:00 p.m, and gyms and restaurants would be permitted to reopen.[67][68][69]

On March 12, Premier Legault announced that the province would ban indoor gatherings of more than 250 people, and that government workers, health care professionals, and teachers returning from international travel would be required to self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival. He also advised residents who are experiencing flu-like symptoms, or who have recently returned from international travel, to self-isolate.[32][70]

On March 15, Legault ordered the closure of various recreational and entertainment venues, including, but not limited to, bars, cinemas, gyms, pools, and ski hills. Restaurants were also ordered to reduce their capacity by half and enforce physical distancing.[71][72]

Ban on indoor gathering seem to have been decided after most identified outbreaks of three or more cases had occurred in an indoor environment, which tend to indicate that sharing indoor space is a major SARS-CoV-2 infection risk.

On March 20, the state of public health emergency was renewed and the prohibition of assemblies was extended to outdoor activities with limited exceptions.[73]

Social distancing is introduced through the “2 metres (6') rule”, as part of the guidelines set by the WHO and other health agencies. The rule can be traced back to the 1930s and was created out of the belief that large droplets emitted by exhalations (sneezing, talking, breathing), do not travel beyond this distance, and do not remain suspended in the air.

On March 21, the Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ) announced that its stores would begin closing on Sundays.[74]

On March 22, the Quebec Government announced the closing of all shopping malls and hair and beauty salons. Grocery stores, pharmacies, and SAQ stores would remain open, as well as stores that are accessible by an exterior entrance. All restaurants must close dining-room service, while take-out service could continue. Schools and daycares were to remain closed until at least May 1.

On March 23, Premier Legault ordered the closure of all non-essential businesses beginning at midnight on March 24, until at least April 13.[75]

On March 28, travel within the province was restricted. Only essential travel into le Bas-Saint-Laurent, l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue, la Côte-Nord, le Nord-du-Québec, le Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, la Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine, le Nunavik, and les Terres-Cries-de-la-Baie-James were permitted. Police checkpoints were announced to enforce this measure.[76] The following day, March 29, the state of emergency was extended.[77]

On March 31, Legault ordered all essential businesses (excluding restaurants, gas stations, and dépanneurs) to close on Sundays until further notice to provide a day of rest for employees.[78]

On April 1, intra provincial travel was further restricted to include non-essential movement in four new regions: l'Outaouais health region, the territories and municipalities of Antoine-Labelle and Argenteuil in the Laurentians health region, the territories of Autray, Joliette, Matawinie and Montcalm in the Lanaudière health region, and l'agglomération de La Tuque in the Mauricie et Centre-du-Québec health region.[79]

On April 2, the Prime Minister François Legault announced that provincial and municipal police officers will enforce emergency measures against individuals and businesses. Individuals and businesses who do not respect the public health directives can be fined $1,000 to $6,000 by the police.[80]

On April 4, Quebec Government granted the national public health director and any health director the authority to order a person to self-isolate for a maximum period of 14 days without a court order if the person does not consent to voluntarily self-isolate.[81]

On April 5, Quebec extended the public health emergency and all associated closures to at least May 4.[82]

On April 7, the state of emergency was extended and the city of Montreal announced the cancellation of all summer festivals and events until July 2. Furthermore, the Government of Quebec announced the containment of Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region, which was then closed from the rest of the province. No one could leave or enter the region unless they fell within the exception.[83]

On April 10, the Quebec government announces that all festivals, sporting events and cultural events are cancelled until August 31.[84][85]

On April 13, Legault announced that residential construction slated for completion by July 31 would be re-classified as an essential service, arguing that the province "[doesn't] want to add a housing crisis on top of the current crisis."[86]

On April 15 and 22, the state of emergency was consecutively extended twice until April 24 and 29 respectively.[87][88]

On April 27, Quebec government announced that preschools and elementary schools outside the Metropolitan Community of Montreal (CMM) could reopen on May 11, preparing a possible return to work for their parents.[89] Meanwhile, secondary schools, CÉGEPS and universities are expected to remain closed until September, i.e. until the start of the next school year.

The next day, the Quebec government announced that retail stores outside of the Montreal region with exterior operating doors will be allowed to reopen from May 4 onwards. Retail stores within the Montreal region were allowed to reopen a week later on May 11.[90]

On April 29, Quebec government announced that regional travel restrictions would be lifted on May 4.[91] However, the state of emergency is extended once more.[92]

On May 1, the Government of Quebec ordered the suspension applicable to activities carried on in work environments under Order in Council 223-2020 dated March 24, 2020, to be lifted with respect to retail businesses situated elsewhere than in the territory of the Communauté Métropolitaine de Montréal.

On May 6 and 13, the state of emergency is extended twice consecutively again until the May 13 and 20 respectively.[93][94]

On May 19, the Government of Quebec ordered that the suspension be lifted in regard to work environments that offer outdoor, recreational or individual sports activities to the public, sports activities to the public, contact-free, conducted outside and in an unstructured manner.[95]

On May 20, the state of emergency is extended again.[96]

On May 22, the Quebec Government announced that they would allow groups of at most 10 people from a maximum of three households to gather outside.[97]

On May 27, the reopening of facilities including private health offices, pet grooming services, personal and beauty care, museums, public libraries and camping sites outside of Greater Montreal Area was announced alongside an additional extension to the state of emergency.[98]

On May 30, the Government of Quebec announced that the suspension on the activities of municipal outdoor pools, wading pools and playground equipment, including splash pads, would be lifted.[99]

Not even a week after Health Canada had approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, on December 9, 2020,[100] Quebec began to receive their first doses. Premier Legault indicated that by January 4, 2021, Quebec would receive 55,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.[101]

On December 14, the first person in Canada to be vaccinated was Gisele Levesque, an 89-year-old resident of the Saint-Antoine long-term care home in Quebec City.[102]

On December 23, Health Canada approved the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine[103] and Quebec began to receive doses on December 30. Due to its lower maintenance requirements, the Moderna vaccine will be prioritized for use in remote regions.[104]

The Quebec government has received criticism for its first-dose priority system, which would allow for the greatest number of people to receive a first-dose but which would delay administration of a second-dose to months after the first, as opposed to the three weeks recommended by Pfizer.[105] On January 11, Premier Legault suggested that Pfizer might stop delivering vaccines to Quebec if the province does not comply with the recommended schedule. However, he affirmed that if such a situation arose, Quebec would modify their strategy to adhere to the recommended schedule.[106] In the last week of January, Quebec did not receive any vaccine doses, as Pfizer had temporarily stopped deliveries to Canada.[1][107]

The vaccine is being rolled out in the province based on the following 10 priority groups:[108]

1. Vulnerable people and people with a significant loss of autonomy who live in residential and long-term care centres (CHSLDs) or in intermediate and family-type resources (RI‑RTFs).
2. Workers in the health and social services network who have contact with users.
3. Autonomous or semi-autonomous people who live in private seniors' homes (RPAs) or in certain closed residential facilities for older adults.
4. Isolated and remote communities.
5. People 80 years of age or older.
6. People 70 to 79 years of age.
7. People 60 to 69 years of age.
8. Adults under 60 years of age who have a chronic disease or health problem that increases the risk of complications of COVID‑19.
9. Adults under 60 years of age who do not have a chronic disease or health problem that increases the risk of complications, but who provide essential services and have contact with users.
10. The rest of the adult population.

Vaccination against COVID-19 is not mandatory in Quebec and the vaccines are free of charge for those who choose to take it.[108]

As of January 29, 2021, over 238,100 vaccines have been administered in the province across 21 vaccination centres.[1][109]

On March 16, the government of Quebec announced financial compensation to workers who returned from abroad that had been placed in segregation, and did not have access to employment insurance. The Programme d'aide temporaire aux travailleurs touchés par le coronavirus (PATT) paid $573 per week for two weeks.[110]

On March 20, the government of Quebec announced the suspension of interest on student loans as of April 1, 2020, for the next six months.[111]

Due to the economic impact of the pandemic, initiatives emerged to promote local purchasing, including the social media campaign #OnSeSerreLesCoudes ("We stick together")[112] and Panier Bleu—a government-run directory promoting Quebecois retailers that are offering online sales.[113]

On April 2, a salary bonus of 8% to all healthcare professionals on the front line and a bonus of 4% to the rest of the network's employees was announced by ministers Christian Dubé and Danielle McCann.[114] A salary increase of $4 per hour was also granted to the 34,000 beneficiary attendants for a period of 16 weeks.[115] On April 4, a bonus of 8% was also granted to the paramedics in the province.[116]

On April 3, Minister of the Economy Pierre Fitzgibbon announced $150 million in expenditure to help small and medium-sized businesses impacted by the pandemic.[117] Hydro-Québec announced that its executives are renouncing their salary increase for 2020 and that the bonuses and bonuses for 2019 will be paid later this year. In addition, Hydro-Quebec donated 125,000 protective masks to the Quebec government.[118]

In an interview with Gérard Filion of RDI Économie on April 16, the Minister of Finance, Éric Girard, predicted a budget deficit between $10 and $15 billion for the year 2020. The government had tabled its budget for the year 2020 on March 10, before the start of the pandemic. Its calculation was based on the assumption that 40% of the Quebec economy would be put on pause for a period of eight weeks, and that there would be an increase in health spending.[119]

On March 14, Premier Legault announced that the province would prohibit visits to hospitals and long-term care facilities. He also advised citizens over the age of 70 to avoid leaving their homes.[120][40]

On March 20, the Quebec government prohibited indoor gatherings and required for outdoor gatherings that a two-meter (6') distance be kept between the people gathered, with some exceptions, such as for members of the same household.[121]

From May 22, the Quebec government restricted outdoor gatherings in private locations to a maximum of 10 people, but loosened the requirement to maintain a two-meter (6') distance between the people gathered for it to apply "as much as possible" rather than at all times. It was recommended, but not required, that those ten people be from no more than three households. The lack of a maximum number of people and the requirement that the distance be kept at all times were maintained for outdoor gatherings in public locations.[122][123]

On July 18, amid an increase in cases, it became mandatory for all patrons of enclosed public spaces over the age of 12 to wear a face mask. Businesses can be fined up to $6,000 if they allow customers to violate this health order. Quebec became the first Canadian province to enact such an order.[124]

On September 8, the province unveiled a four-tier system to determine guidance and restrictions based on present risks at a regional level, based on caseload and healthcare capacity. All tiers are subject to continued practice of social distancing, mandatory masking, and hygiene practices.[125][126][127]

As of January 3, 2021, province-wide alert levels are set at the following. There is currently no region at level 1 or 2.[128]

Map of COVID-19 alert levels in Quebec by administrative region as of January 3, 2021

  Alert

  Alert with exceptions for certain territories

  Maximum alert

Since March 15, anyone who has left a health professional order, such as the Order of Nurses of Quebec, may begin practicing that profession again, without charge, as long as they have not been out of the order for more than 5 years, and are not over 70 years old.[129][130]

On March 31, Premier Legault warned of potential shortages of medical supplies within the next week, including personal protective equipment, and announced that Premier of Ontario Doug Ford had agreed to divert some of its shipments of medical equipment to the province.[131] The province of Alberta also announced on April 11 that they would be sending 250,000 N95 masks, 2 million procedural masks, and 15 million gloves to Quebec.[132]

On April 5, the Quebec government began to centralize the purchase of drugs, and sought to find an alternative drug for propofol, out of fear of a shortage.[133]

On May 5, Premier Legault revealed that 11,200 workers in the healthcare system were absent.[134] Two days later, that number had increased to 11,600.[135] Of the workers who were present, only 50% were working full-time.[134] The lack of full-time healthcare personnel in Quebec continues to be a problem, particularly in long-term care facilities.

As of April 1, 519 long-term care facilities in Quebec, including both lodging centres for long-term care (French: centre d'hébergement de soins de longue durée, CHSLD) and private seniors' residences (French: résidence privée pour aînés, RPA),[136] had at least one confirmed case of COVID-19.[137] As of April 30, a total of 6603 residents in CHSLDs and RPAs had been infected.[138] Nearly half of Quebec's deaths from the pandemic have occurred in long-term care facilities.[139]

CHSLD Sainte-Dorothee in Laval has had one of the largest outbreaks; on April 8, it was reported that at least 115 of its 250 residents had been infected, and that there had been at least 13 deaths.[140] The same day, Premier Legault announced that the province would deploy 500 nurses, 450 doctors, and more equipment to long-term care facilities in order to help reduce their burden.[140]

At least 150 cases have been connected to CHSLD Herron, located in the Montreal suburb of Dorval.[141] There were also reports of neglect and poor living conditions at the facility, with staff having deserted the facility since March 29, and health care workers describing it as being akin to a horror movie or a concentration camp, due to discovering unhygienic living conditions, and residents neglected for nourishment and personal hygiene.[141][142][143] On April 10, Health Minister McCann announced that an investigation would be launched into the facility, which had been placed under provincial trusteeship.[144][141][142]

On April 11, the province reported that there had been 31 deaths at CHSLD Herron over the last month, with at least five attributed to COVID-19. CIUSSS de l'Ouest-de-l'Île-de-Montréal (CIUSSSOIM) president Lynne McVey stated that the facility's owner was uncooperative, preventing authorities from obtaining the health records of its residents until April 8.[145] Quebec's coroner's office and the Montreal police are also investigating.[146]

That weekend, teams were sent to all 41 private CHSLDs in the province to evaluate their response to the pandemic.[147] On April 12, AELDPQ (an association representing Quebec's private CHSLDs) sent a letter to Minister McCann, accusing the province of breaking promises to increase funding for private CHSLDs, not displaying equal scrutiny towards public facilities, cutting off private facilities' procurement of personal protective equipment via provincial suppliers, and not providing promised emergency funding for them to purchase PPE (requiring them to cover their own costs).[147]

On April 13, Premier Legault presented findings from the evaluations, reporting that the "vast majority" of private CHSLDs were "very well managed," but that there were several that required further monitoring and that the province would now be inspecting all 2,600 CHSLDs. He admitted that pre-existing issues with under-staffing at the facilities due to low wages may have been exacerbated by the pandemic, and announced plans to give temporary bonuses to attendants and orderlies, pending negotiations with unions to raise wages outright.[148][149]

On April 14, Premier Legault announced that Quebec would allow residents of CHSLDs to receive visits from a pre-existing primary caregiver beginning April 16.[139] The same day, the owners of CHSLD Herron sent a letter to Legault accusing CIUSSSOIM of engaging in a cover-up, claiming that 28 of the deaths reported had actually occurred after the facility was placed under trusteeship on March 29, disputing that they had not allowed them access to health records until April 8, and that "no communication was made to the families of the residents by the representatives of the CIUSSSOIM, despite numerous requests made to that effect by the employees as well as members of the management of the CHLSD Herron."[150]

On April 16, the Montreal Regional Director of Public Health, Mylène Drouin, stated that outbreaks of COVID—19 had affected at least 75% of long-term care facilities in the city.[151] Two days later, the Canadian Armed Forces began to deploy 125 workers — including nurses and other support staff — to assist CHSLDs in managing the outbreak and augmenting staff.[152][153] On April 22, Premier Legault announced that the province had requested an additional 1,000 workers to "give us more resources to help us with non-medical tasks."[49]

On May 5, Premier Legault announced that some restrictions in uninfected RPAs would be lifted, allowing residents to go for walks unaccompanied and to meet with family outdoors, as long as social distancing measures were being respected.[154]

On April 1, border checkpoints such as this one on the Alexandra Bridge were implemented on the Ontario border.

As of March 16, the Montréal–Trudeau International Airport is one of only four airports across the country that is accepting international flights to Canada from outside the Caribbean, Mexico, and the United States.[155]

The Quebec government has advised against non-essential interprovincial travel. On March 28, regional access to the regions of Bas-Saint-Laurent, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Côte-Nord, Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean, Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Nord-du-Québec, Nunavik and Eeyou Istchee have been restricted by police roadblocks and airport controls.[156][157]

On April 1, security checkpoints were implemented in several municipalities in the Lanaudiere region, the Laurentians, La Tuque, and the Outaouais region (including the Ontario border), to restrict non-essential travel into the regions.[158][159]

Since March 15, all hearings before a judicial administrative court must be held behind closed doors, and all visits (except those of lawyers) to a detention facility in Quebec were suspended.[160] All decisions of the Tribunal administratif du logement authorizing the resumption of housing or the eviction of the tenant were suspended.[161]

Since March 16, all appeals to be heard by the Supreme Court of Canada in March, April and May 2020 have been postponed to June 2020,[162] just as the hearings convened from March 16 to April 30, 2020 before the Quebec Access to Information Commission were canceled.[163]

Since March 19, orders made by the Court of Quebec that allowed children of the DPJ to maintain physical contact with their biological parents were suspended.[164]

Since March 20, individuals who served an intermittent sentence were on medical leave, and all deadline to introduce a case in front of the Tribunal administratif du Québec, the Tribunal administratif du travail, the Tribunal administratif des marchés financiers, or the Commission d'accès à l'information were suspended during the pandemic.[165]

From March 23 to April 24, 2020, all deadlines for civil procedures were suspended, and only urgent cases were heard before the Quebec Court of Appeal, the Superior Court of Quebec and the Court of Quebec.[166]

On April 1, the bar school of the province of Quebec postponed the final evaluation to May 25.[167]

On March 17, the City of Montreal declared a local state of emergency.[168] The original Royal Victoria Hospital building was converted into a homeless shelter for COVID-19 patients.[169][170]

On March 24, the city of Quebec laid off nearly 2,000 employees.[171] On April 4, more than half of municipal workers in Donnacona were laid off.[172] In Lévis, the city has laid off 353 temporary employees for three weeks. Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures and L'Ancienne-Lorette have also laid off fifty employees.[173]

On April 5, Montreal closed the parking lots at Notre-Dame Island and Mount Royal Park in order to discourage public gatherings.[174][175]

On April 9, Rimouski announced that it is closing the Promenade de la Mer cycle path on the portion located between the Rimouski River and the Rue Saint-Germain Est.[176]

On March 11, Premier Legault recommended that a voluntary 14-day quarantine be imposed on all students and faculty returning from school trips to countries strongly affected by the pandemic (such as China and Italy), even if there are no signs of symptoms. He also cancelled upcoming trips to such locations.[177] The same day, students and staff members from several schools who had recently travelled to Italy were told to stay home.[178][179][180] Collège International Marie de France suspended classes, pending the testing of a student who was suspected to have been infected.[181] On March 13, the Université de Montréal cancelled all international teaching and research activities until the next school year.[182]

On March 13, Quebec ordered the closure of all schools, CEGEPs, and post-secondary institutions until at least March 27. Daycares were also ordered closed, unless serving the children of health care professionals.[183] On March 15, the government announced that it would offer free emergency childcare services for people working in essential services, with up to 60,000 spots available, using the up to 400 schools that the government had closed.[184] On March 16, the Université Laval, the Université de Sherbrooke, and the École de technologie supérieure transitioned to online classes.[182] Université Laval and Université de Sherbrooke established emergency funds for students impacted by the pandemic.[185][186]

On March 22, the school closures were extended to May 1.[187] On April 5, Quebec extended all closures relating to the pandemic through at least May 4.[82]

There were calls by the students of the Université du Québec system for the winter terms to be cancelled outright, with Trois-Rivières students circulating a petition also requesting that they receive credits without a grade.[188][189]

The province launched a website known as L'École Ouverte (Open School), which provides a collection of online education resources and activities in French and English.[78]

On April 20, Minister of Education Jean-François Roberge announced that the province's R score system (typically used by universities to help select CEGEP applicants) would be suspended for the winter semester, so that students are not "unfairly penalized" due to a lack of uniformity in responses and approaches by Quebec's CEGEP's.[190]

On April 27, Premier Legault announced that elementary schools and daycares would be allowed to reopen outside of the Montreal area on May 11, and within Montreal on May 18, if cases remain stable. Classes will be limited to 15 students each, and parents will be allowed to choose whether their children may return to classes. Secondary and post-secondary schools will not be re-opened until the next school year, to prevent overcrowding of public transit.[191]

On March 21, the provincial government awarded a $7 million grant to Medicago, a Quebec City-based firm that was developing a COVID-19 vaccine candidate.[192][193] On March 23, a team at the Montreal Heart Institute led by Jean-Claude Tardif launched a clinical trial exploring the use of colchicine to help treat complications of COVID-19.[193] The first results are expected for the month of June 2020.[194]

On March 26, the Fonds de Recherche du Québec, and the Génome Québec, established a provincial task force to build a biobank of COVID-19 samples, led by McGill University chair Vincent Mooser.[195] Mila, an artificial intelligence institute in Montreal, is developing contact tracing software for mobile phones.[196]

On March 12, Montreal and Quebec City cancelled their St. Patrick's Day parades (the former for the first time in its 196-year history).[197][198] The Montreal Symphony Orchestra cancelled concerts scheduled through May 24 (including a planned performance at New York City's Carnegie Hall).[199] All Grand Théâtre de Québec shows were cancelled through at least March 29.[38] Various festivals have been cancelled, including the Festival d'été de Québec,[200] Les Francos,[201] Metro Metro,[202] Montréal Complètement Cirque,[203] the Montreal International Jazz Festival,[201] and the Festival Santa Teresa.[204] Montreal's Just for Laughs comedy festival was postponed to late September and early October.[205] The Montreal Fireworks Festival was also cancelled.[206]

On April 7, Montreal ordered the cancellation of all cultural events, festivals, public gatherings, and sporting events through July 2 (resulting in the cancellation of local Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day and Canada Day festivities).[207] On April 10, Quebec requested that all cultural events, festivals, and sporting events be cancelled province-wide through at least August 31.[206]

The National Hockey League[208] and Major League Soccer[209] have suspended their regular seasons, affecting the Montreal Canadiens and Montreal Impact. With Major League Baseball suspending preseason play, the Toronto Blue Jays' annual preseason series at Olympic Stadium was also cancelled.[210] The QMJHL and the remainder of the Canadian Hockey League scrapped the remainder of the 2019–20 season (including all playoffs and the Memorial Cup) on March 23.[211] The 2020 World Figure Skating Championships, planned to be hosted by Montreal, were cancelled on March 11.[212] On April 7, Formula One postponed the Canadian Grand Prix.[213]

On April 11, Tennis Canada announced that the women's tournament of the 2020 Canadian Open would be cancelled, pursuant to the request by the provincial government. The men's tournament in Toronto was ultimately cancelled in June. Montreal will therefore host the 2021 women's tournament[214][215][216]

Other provincial sports bodies have also suspended activities, including Basketball Québec,[217] Baseball Québec (baseball activity suspended until at least May 1),[218] Hockey Québec (including the Quebec Junior Hockey League, which called off the remainder of the season),[219][220] and Soccer Québec (activity suspended until at least May 1).[221] Other local events that have faced cancellations include the Tour de l'Île de Montréal, and various footraces.[222][223]

On April 15, the organizers of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal and Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec — the two North American events on the UCI World Tour — stated that the events were still tentatively scheduled for September, but that they would continue monitoring the situation and working with UCI on the matter.[224]

On March 15, the Antonopoulos group — owner of many hotels and restaurants in Old Montreal — announced to its employees that several layoffs were expected.[225] Groupe Sportscene (owner of sports bar chain La Cage) laid off 2,200 of its 2,500 employees.[226] Cirque du Soleil announced the temporary layoff of 4,679 employees, representing almost 95% of its workforce.[227] On March 26, Cogeco Media announced that it would lay off 130 employees, representing a quarter of their workforce.[228] On April 6, CAE announced the layoff of approximately 2,600 employees, representing just over a quarter of their workforce.[229]