A curfew aimed at curbing the growing tide of COVID-19 cases has had an effect throughout Quebec
The move is needed to prevent meetings that have fueled the rampant spread of the virus, Prime Minister Francois Legault said in announcing the rules earlier in the week. The French-speaking Canadian province has a population of over 8.4 million.
“The situation is critical and shock treatment is needed,” Legault said in a Facebook post earlier Saturday. “Our hospitals are filling COVID-19 patients. Hundreds of people are in intensive care and fighting for their lives. Every day dozens of people die.”
The rules will allow most residents to face police questions or fines of up to C $ 6,000 (US $ 4,728) if they are out from 8pm to 5am for the next four weeks.
There are exceptions for essential workers, people who walk with dogs, and those who have medical reasons for being away, such as an appointment with a doctor.
Some have had strong resistance to curfew.
Just before the curfew occurred, a few dozen people walked the streets of Plateau District, Montreal, chanting “freedom” as five police cruisers with flashing lights dragged behind them. A helicopter hovered overhead and police cruisers lined the streets.
Under the terms of the curfew, grocery stores and convenience stores will have to close at 7:30 p.m. to allow workers and customers to get home. Stores connected to gas stations may remain open to serve essential workers.
The curfew comes when COVID-19 cases in Quebec and deaths continue to rise, hospitals say they fill up and are at risk of being overwhelmed.
The trend continued on Saturday, as the province reported 3,127 new cases of coronavirus infections and 41 more deaths associated with COVID-19. It was the first time the daily count of cases in the province exceeded 3,000.