COVID-19 cases on the rise: Three Quebec regions move to pandemic level orange

The Minister of Health and Social Services, Christian Dubé, announced Sunday that Montreal and Chaudière-Appalaches regions, as well as a portion of the Capitale-Nationale region, are moving from pandemic level yellow to orange.
He also announced that certain parts of the Lanaudière and Laurentides regions will move from green to yellow level.
According to Dubé, the Estrie and Monteregie regions will remain yellow for the time being.
Because epidemiological investigations have shown that outbreaks are most commonly associated with gatherings, rules are being tightened related to gatherings in order to protect the population.
The limit on the number of people in a room where the sale or service of alcoholic beverages is permitted or in a room where any event or reception is held will now be 50 people rather than 250. The rule went into effect as of midnight last night in all regions located in the green or yellow level. That number was dropped to 25 for regions in orange level.
The rule does not apply to venues where people are seated, such as theaters, cinemas, and audio-visual recording studios, which can continue to accommodate up to 250 people.
Level orange restrictions
Other orange level restrictions include limiting private gatherings to a maximum of six people or two families (no more than two households).
A person not coming from the residence can, however, come to help with the children or at home.
In restaurants, bars, casinos and gaming houses, the maximum number of people that can be at the same table is six on orange zones.
Liquor sales in restaurants, bars, pubs, taverns, casinos and any other place or establishment licensed to sell or serve alcoholic beverages must stop at 11 p.m.
Patrons of bars, pubs, taverns and casinos are now required to leave by midnight, while in other places offering liquor service, no alcohol is permitted after midnight.
In residential and long-term care centers (CHSLDs), only visits necessary for humanitarian purposes and caregivers providing significant assistance to a resident are authorized.
In private seniors’ residences (RPAs), visits are permitted up to a maximum of 6 people present at a time, including the resident, in the rental unit.
In businesses, it is recommended that only one person per household be allowed. Also, persons considered to be at high risk of complications are encouraged to use delivery services or to ask for help from family and friends.
Travel to another area is not recommended.
COVID-19 cases in Quebec
The Estrie region reported an additional 21 cases on Sunday and 30 more on Saturday, increasing the local total to 1,573 cases. There have been 29 COVID-19 related deaths in the region to date and 1,350 people are considered to have recovered.
The province of Quebec reported an additional 462 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday after 427 were added on Saturday and 297 on Friday. As such, the total number of people infected in the province since the beginning of the pandemic has increased to 67,542, with 5,802 deaths and 58,796 considered recovered. The number of hospitalizations increased to 138 while the number of people in intensive care remained stable.
Both Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-François Blanchet and Conservative leader Erin O’Toole received positive diagnoses of the virus over the weekend. Quebec Premier Francois Legault, who had been in contact with O’Toole announced that he will spend this coming week in isolation in order to respect public health guidelines regarding contact with a positive case, despite the fact that his own test came back negative.