Quebec will announce new restrictions aimed at breaking the growing second wave of the novel coronavirus pandemic this week.
Premier François Legault confirmed the decision in an interview Monday morning, citing high hospitalization rates in the province.
“There are already natural measures with the time off during the holidays but we are obligated to add to them,” he told Montreal radio station 98.5 FM.
The holiday season represents an opportunity to help bring rising COVID-19 cases, deaths and hospitalizations down since schools, construction sites and many offices are already closed, according to Legault.
“Do we have to close stores during a certain period?” he said. “That’s what we’re considering.”
READ MORE: Quebec mulls stricter COVID-19 measures but decision will be made next week, Legault says
The announcement comes as the government has been mulling issuing additional measures to stem the tide of the virus. Health and economic experts have been calling for a “circuit breaker lockdown” of two to three weeks as numbers continue to climb.
The majority of the province is already on red alert — including Montreal and Quebec City — which means dining rooms, gyms, bars and museums are closed. Most indoor and outdoor gatherings are also banned. It is not a full lockdown, however, as shops, malls and schools remain open.
Legault hinted that Quebec will likely follow Germany’s footsteps, which announced new measures from Dec. 16 to Jan. 10 to stop the exponential rise of new coronavirus cases. This includes shutting most stores and tightening measures on social contacts.
“I’m a great admirer of Angela Merkel,” he said.
He specified that he is not looking at the same full lockdown issued in the spring when the pandemic was first declared and when Quebec basically came to standstill.
READ MORE: First Quebecer receives coronavirus vaccine as rollout begins in long-term care homes
The province has learned since then, he added, pointing to masks, physical distancing and many Quebecers working from home.
“We won’t go far as that,” he said.
Quebec administered its first vaccine Monday to a resident in a long-term care facility as the province reported 1,620 new cases and 25 additional deaths linked to the virus. Hospitalizations also climbed again by 10 for a total of 890.
The caseload stands at 165,535 while recoveries have surpassed 141,000. The death toll, which is the highest in Canada, has reached 7,533.