Quebecers were initially allowed to celebrate the holiday season through gatherings but the Government of Quebec withdrew its plan because of the growing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases.
Previously, the province released some guidelines, allowing gatherings of up to 10 people from December 24 until December 27. Another announcement after clarified that one is only allowed to attend two gatherings.
In a news conference on Thursday, December 3, Premier Francois Legault announced the cancellation, citing the increase of COVID-19 cases.
“When we look at the situation, we are forced to realize that it is not realistic to think that we are going to succeed in reducing the progression of the virus in a satisfactory way by Christmas,” he said.
Legault acknowledged that people just want to see their families but he stressed that “it is not a good idea.”
“The virus is very dangerous. We need to stay home and get some rest and we have to take care of one another,” he added.
However, there is an exception for people who live alone, specifically the elderly. They are allowed to receive one visitor but both parties must still follow physical distancing protocols and must wear masks.
The province recorded an addition of 1,470 cases on Thursday, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases in Quebec to 146,532. Other figures as of December 3 include 7,155 deaths and 737 hospitalizations.
In the same conference, Legault said that these numbers can still rise as the continuous increase has been observed for the past days; with Quebec cases reaching more than 1,500 for the first time on Wednesday.
“If we continue in this direction, hospitals will start to overflow. We have a limited number of nurses, and our nurses are very tired,” he said.