MONTREAL — Many Quebec businesses will reopen gradually throughout the month of May, Quebec Premier Francois Legault announced Tuesday
Businesses in three major sectors will be among those reopening, Legault said: retail stores that are not in shopping malls (or those in malls that have outdoor entrances); construction and civil engineering companies; and manufacturing companies, plants and factories.
Shopping malls will otherwise remain closed for the time being, Legault said.
Retail businesses outside the Montreal area will be allowed to reopen May 4; stores in Montreal can reopen a week later, on May 11.
The entire construction sector in Quebec can reopen as of May 11, but with restrictions on the number of workers that can be on a site at any given time. Those restrictions will be lifted May 25.
The reopening is being done gradually in order to restart Quebec’s economy without adding to the COVID-19 pandemic, which Legault said Tuesday was under control outside of the province’s long-term care residences for seniors (CHSLDs).
Some Quebec businesses, including residential construction, gardening centres and real estate brokerages, were granted permission to restart their work earlier this month.
Tuesday’s announcement on Quebec’s economy comes a day after the province outlined its plans to gradually reopen Quebec schools starting May 11.
As is the case with reopening schools, businesses that reopen in May must continue to respect physical distancing guidelines, Legault said.
Should the reopenings contribute to increasing the spread of COVID-19 in Quebec, they will be reversed, the premier added.
Quebec also announced Tuesday that all stores in the province – except for pharmacies, depanneurs, gas stations and restaurants that offer takeout and delivery – will continue to be closed on Sundays throughout the month of May.
There are now 1,682 people who have died of COVID-19 in Quebec, health authorities announced Tuesday, as confirmed cases in the province reached 25,757.
That’s up 83 from the 1,599 deaths reported Monday; COVID-19 cases in Quebec rose 775 from the 24,982 announced a day earlier.
There are 1,729 people being treated for COVID-19 in Quebec hospitals as of Tuesday, up 94 from the 1,541 reported Monday. Of those in a hospital, 217 are in intensive care, up seven from the 210 reported 24 hours earlier.
There are 2,789 people waiting for COVID-19 test results in Quebec as of Tuesday, down 41 from the 2,830 reported Monday.
The number of people in Quebec who have recovered from COVID-19 as of Tuesday was 5,841, up 324 from the 5,517 recoveries reported a day earlier.
This is a developing news story that will be updated.
