Premier François Legault announced late this afternoon that several Quebec regions will be reclassified as orange zones as of March 8.
The downgraded regions include Capitale-Nationale, Chaudière-Appalaches, l’Estrie, and de la Mauricie–Centre-du-Québec.
Montreal, Laval, the Laurentians, Lanaudière and Montérégie, however, will remain red.
“Public health authorities tell us there will be an increase in new cases and hospitalizations in the coming weeks, so we must keep these regions in red zones,” Legault said.
Curfews in the orange zone start at 9:30 pm, and end at 5 am. Restaurants, gyms, venues, halls, theatres, and indoor arenas are also permitted to reopen provided they follow the recommended health guidelines.
Individual sports are allowed indoors in the orange zone.
Outdoor activities can be done in groups of eight, rather than four, as is the case in the red zone.
Places of worship in orange zones will be able to increase their capacity from 25 people to 100.
Gatherings in private places, however, remain forbidden.
“In the past 10 days, things have become stable in certain regions across Quebec,” says Legault from Montreal. “There are no more decreases in cases or hospitalizations, and they’ve reached a plateau.”