Confused about what the various colour levels represent in the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic? The Quebec government has prepared a list of what actions will be required by the population in the coming months:
Government action in the coming months will be focused on three priorities:
Limiting the health, social and economic impact of COVID‑19
Protecting the most vulnerable members of society
Avoiding healthcare system overload
If it becomes necessary to raise the level of intervention to slow the spread of the virus, the implemented measures will depend on the alert level. Four alert levels have been defined, as follows, with commensurate intervention:
Level 1–Vigilance
Level 1–Vigilance requires constant attention amid the COVID 19 pandemic. This level corresponds to weak community spread and requires that all dictated basic measures are followed in all settings (physical distancing, respiratory etiquette, hand-washing, etc.). Other measures may also apply for specific activities and settings.
Strengthened basic measures in force
Private indoor or outdoor gatherings Maximum 10 people
Activities organized in a public setting Indoors: maximum 50 people (rented halls, places of worship, festival events, marriages, workplace or school celebrations, etc.) Venues with a liquor permit: alcohol sales end at midnight, no drinking after 1 a.m. and all dancing prohibited Outdoors: maximum 250 people
Public venue halls and audiences Maximum 250 people People must be seated, relatively immobile, little or no talking, staff supervision (concert halls, theatres, cinemas, etc.)
Bars, brasseries, taverns, casinos and restaurants Maximum 10 patrons per table Bars, brasseries, taverns and casinos at 50% permitted capacity, alcohol and food sales end at midnight, closing time 1 a.m. and mandatory customer name and contact list Restaurants open
Inter-regional travel Authorized
Other long-term applicable measures Increased police intervention Infraction reports and fines for non-compliance with face-covering directives
Level 2–Early Warning
Level 2–Early Warning is required as soon as transmission of the virus starts to grow. The basic measures will be strengthened and further action taken to promote and encourage compliance. For example, there could be more inspections and greater crowd control in various venues to facilitate physical distancing.
Strengthened basic measures in force Private indoor or outdoor gatherings Maximum 10 people
Activities organized in a public setting Indoors: maximum 50 people (rented halls, places of worship, festival events, marriages, workplace or school celebrations, etc.) Venues with a liquor permit: alcohol sales end at midnight, no drinking after 1 a.m. and all dancing prohibited Outdoors: maximum 250 people
Public venue halls and audiences Maximum 250 people People must be seated, relatively immobile, little or no talking, staff supervision (concert halls, theatres, cinemas, etc.)
Bars, brasseries, taverns, casinos and restaurants Maximum 10 patrons per table Bars, brasseries, taverns and casinos at 50% permitted capacity, alcohol and food sales end at midnight, closing time 1 a.m. and mandatory customer name and contact list Restaurants open
Inter-regional travel Authorized
Other long-term applicable measures Increased police intervention Infraction reports and fines for non-compliance with face-covering directives
Level 3–Alert
Level 3–Alert introduces new measures that target specific sectors of activity and settings where the risk of transmission is deemed higher. These sectors and settings will be subject to selective restrictions, prohibitions and closures.
Intermediate measures in force Private indoor or outdoor gatherings Maximum 6 people OR 2 families (i.e. 2 families with a total in excess of 6 people authorized)
Activities organized in a public setting Indoor and outdoor: maximum 25 people (Rented halls, places of worship, festival events, marriages, workplace or school celebrations, barbecues, picnics, etc.) Venues with a liquor permit: no alcohol sales after 11 p.m., no alcohol consumption after midnight, dancing prohibited
Public venue halls and audiences Maximum 250 people People must be seated, relatively immobile, little or no talking, staff supervision (concert halls, theatres, cinemas, public venues, etc.)
Bars, brasseries, taverns, casinos Maximum 6 patrons per tables No alcohol or food sales after 11 p.m, closing at midnight Mandatory customer name and contact list
Restaurants Maximum 6 patrons per tables No alcohol sales after 11 p.m No alcohol consumption after midnight
Stores1 person per household recommended Delivery available and key family member assistance for clients with a high risk of complications
Inter-regional travel Not recommended
CHSLD Visits for humanitarian reasons Visits by informal caregivers who provide significant assistance
RPA No more than 6 people at a time in a rental unit, including the resident
Other long-term applicable measures Increased police intervention Infraction reports and fines for non-compliance with face-covering directives
Level 4–Maximum Alert
Level 4–Maximum Alert includes targeted and additional more restrictive measures that could extend to prohibiting non-essential activities in situations where risk cannot be sufficiently contained, while avoiding the generalized confinement that was experienced during the first wave of the pandemic as much as possible.
Criteria
The alert levels will be established on the basis of recommendations by public health authorities, who regularly review the situation, taking account of the following factors:
Epidemiological situation
Transmission control
Healthcare system capacity
To find out the alert level in your region, consult the Map of COVID-19 alert levels by region.
