A ban on private gatherings is now in effect in Quebec and a COVID-19 curfew is set to begin at 10 p.m. on New Year’s Eve.
This comes as Quebec reported 16,461 new infections on Friday, an underreported number officials say, and 13 more deaths.
Premier François Legault announced the new lockdown restrictions at a news conference Thursday evening. He said hospitals in the province risk being overwhelmed as the number of patients with COVID-19 continues to rise and that hospitalizations linked to the disease doubled in the last week.
READ MORE: COVID-19: Quebec brings back nightly curfew, private gatherings prohibited, as cases soar
Legault has also ordered restaurants to close their dining rooms and said in-person classes at schools, universities and colleges will not resume until at least Jan. 17.
Places of worship have also been ordered to close, except for funerals which will be limited to 25 people.
READ MORE: Quebec outlines conditions for health workers with COVID-19 to return to work
The controversial curfew bans people from being outside, with certain exceptions, from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Quebec is the only province to use a curfew as part of its efforts to control the spread of COVID-19. A previous curfew was in effect from Jan. 9, 2021, to May 28.
The Quebec government has provided no proof as to whether the curfew helps curb the spread of the virus.
–with files from Alessia Simona Maratta, Global News