Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
People in Alberta, Quebec and Nova Scotia will see some COVID-19 restrictions lifted Monday, while students in more than a dozen public health regions in Ontario who had been learning remotely will venture back into the classroom.
Quebec is again allowing non-essential businesses, including personal care businesses like hair salons, to open their doors.
The province, which over the weekend surpassed 10,000 deaths since the pandemic began, will keep a curfew in place — but “red zone” communities will see their curfew start earlier than communities with fewer cases.
Restaurants and theatres will also be allowed to open in “orange zone” communities as of Monday, though those businesses will stay closed to customers in harder-hit areas for now.
The gradual reopening comes as Quebec reported 1,081 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday and 32 additional deaths. Hospitalizations continued to trend downward, with 963 COVID-19 patients in hospital and 158 in intensive care units, according to a provincial dashboard updated on Sunday.
In Ontario, students in 13 public health units will head back into their classrooms on Monday, with students in Toronto, Peel and York regions expected to resume next week.
Premier Doug Ford is expected to offer some detail around how his government will handle a gradual reopening later Monday. The province’s current state of emergency is set to expire on Tuesday.
Ontario reported 1,265 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday and 33 additional deaths, bringing the provincial death toll to 6,538. Hospitalizations in the province decreased to 901, with 335 people listed as being in intensive care units, according to a provincial dashboard updated on Monday.
Ontario expected to take regional approach to reopening14 hours agoVideo
1:46
Ontario’s state of emergency is set to expire this week, but with COVID-19 variants being detected across the province and ICUs still under pressure, a quick end to stay-at-home orders may not be in the cards and a regional approach is expected. 1:46
In Atlantic Canada, Nova Scotia is allowing retail businesses and fitness facilities to operate at 75 per cent capacity. The province, which is loosening restrictions in a range of sectors as of Monday, reported just one new case of COVID-19 on Sunday.
Businesses and organizations holding events like weddings, funerals, sporting matches and festivals in Nova Scotia will be allowed to increase the number of people in attendance, but the number of people allowed to get together informally and inside a home is holding at 10.
Meanwhile, in Alberta, restaurants will be allowed to reopen for in-person dining. Sports and entertainment-related activities can resume in schools, and youth will be able to participate in lessons and practices for team-based minor sports and athletics.
Not every restriction is rolling back, though, as indoor gatherings are still banned, and outdoor get-togethers remain capped at 10.
As of 10:15 a.m. ET on Monday morning, Canada had reported 805,525 cases of COVID-19 — with 44,259 considered active. A CBC News tally of deaths stood at 20,800.
