Prime Minister Francois Legault said the closure of bars, concert halls, cinemas and libraries in these “red zones” would take 1 October and last 28 days.
Shops may remain open, but restaurants will only be allowed to serve takeaways.
Schools will also continue to operate as citizens of the predominantly French-speaking province are encouraged to limit the the the most to their homes.
“What we’re seeing right now is a significant build-up of instances and we expect this to result in a significant buildup of hospitalizations and deaths in several weeks,” Legault said at a televised press conference, adding that “the scenario is now critical. “
Despite existing regulations on wearing masks and restricting social gatherings, Quebec recorded 750 new cases on Monday in what public fitness officials called the “second wave” of the pandemic.
But the number of COVID-19 deaths in the province remained low, between 0 and six in line with the day.
Across Canada, the number of infections increased in September with millions of Canadians returning to school and paintings after the summer break.
Ontario’s most populous province reported a new high of more than 700 new cases, and hospitalizations are also on the rise.
Ontario Prime Minister Doug Ford warned that “this wave will be more complicated, more complex” and “worse than the first wave we had this year. “