The curfew in Quebec is officially back and the rules about who is allowed or not to go out between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. can get a little confusing.
Fortunately, the Government of Quebec’s website clearly lists 15 curfew exemptions. If you don’t meet any of these criteria and you’re outside for the seven hours we’re not supposed to be, you could be fined $ 1,000 to $ 6,000.
Here are the exemptions from the curfew in Quebec:
- “A person whose presence is required at the person’s place of work or who transports goods necessary for the day-to-day activities of the person’s business.”
- A person who goes to a pharmacy to obtain drugs or pharmaceutical, hygiene or sanitary products.
- A person who has to go to or return from a hospital, clinic, dentist or optometrist’s office.
- A person who has to go to or return from a vaccination clinic.
- A person who must visit a sick or injured relative.
- A student who must participate in a face-to-face evening course or go to a laboratory at a recognized school.
- A parent who must accompany their children to the home of the other parent who has custody of them.
- A person who, for his final trip to his destination, must take an interregional or interprovincial bus, train, plane or boat providing the ferry service on the Matane – Baie-Comeau – Godbout link, le havre d ‘ Harrington– Chevery road, Saint-Augustin river or Entry Island – Cap-aux-Meules, or a maritime service to Île-de-la-Madeleine, Anticosti Island or the Lower North Shore operated by the Société des traversiers du Québec.
- A person who must go out so that his dog can do his business, within a radius of at most one kilometer of his place of residence or temporary residence.
- Person who must travel to comply with a court decision, respond to a court summons or exercise custody or visitation rights as a parent.
- A person who must accompany another person unable to drive to a medical appointment or other essential service.
- A parent who has to accompany a sick child to the hospital.
- A person traveling to donate blood under the supervision of Héma-Québec.
- A parent who has to accompany a teenager to work.
- The homeless.”
Over the weekend there was a lot of confusion as to whether walking your dog after 10pm was allowed this time around. According to what was stated on the provincial government website on January 3, the answer is yes – walking your dog near you during curfew hours is allowed.
During a recent press conference, Prime Minister François Legault affirmed that the curfew was necessary because if “the majority of Quebecers respect the [health] measures, […] there is a minority which does not respect the measures “.
“This is an extreme measure because the situation is extreme,” he continued, promising that as the current wave of COVID-19 infections abates, curfews will be the first rule. lifting.
The cover image for this article is used for illustration purposes only.