Montreal closes sports and cultural centres amid coronavirus concerns

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante announced Thursday the city is closing all sports and cultural centres until further notice amid concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Plante said public pools and sports centres, including the Claude-Robillard sports complex, libraries, the Planetarium, the Botanical Gardens and more will close in the interest of public health.

The closures are effective as of Friday and will stay closed until further notice. The city said closures will be gradual, but its first priority is to close all venues that hold 250 people or more.

The mayor said the city’s public transit system will stay open and run as usual, adding that the public should be careful to rigorously wash their hands after using the metro or bus.

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She also added that the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) is disinfecting stations, metro cars and buses more frequently.

Earlier on Thursday, the United Irish Societies of Montreal announced that Montreal’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade will be postponed. It was set to take place on Sunday, March 22.

Management at Place des Arts in Montreal also announced Thursday it will cancel all of its shows and other public activities until further notice.

The move comes after the government’s call to cancel indoor events of more than 250 people as part of its expanded measures to tackle COVID-19.

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Confused about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:

Health officials say the risk is very low for Canadians, but they caution against travel to affected areas (a list can be found here). If you do travel to these places, they recommend you self-monitor to see whether you develop symptoms and if you do, to contact public health authorities.

Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing – very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease.

To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. And if you get sick, stay at home.

For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.

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