The COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec was part of the global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
Until 2021, Quebec had reported the highest number of COVID-19 cases in Canada, eventually overtaken by the neighbouring province of Ontario. However, as of 2024, Quebec still reported both the highest number and the highest rate of deaths in the country. This is largely due to poor conditions in long-term care homes, where around 80% of deaths in the first wave (March to June 2020) occurred.
Over the course of the first two years of the pandemic, Quebec underwent four lockdowns, corresponding to the four major waves of the virus. COVID-19 propagation tended to follow a seasonal pattern of intensification in the colder months (September to March), resulting in the tightening of measures, and reduction in the warmer months (April to August), resulting in the relaxation of measures. The purported goal of the lockdowns was to lessen the burden on the already overloaded healthcare system by reducing severe COVID-19 cases, also known more colloquially as the flatten the curve () strategy. In total, the largest population centres of the province were under significant restrictions, which generally comprised the closure of non-essential businesses and the banning of most indoor gatherings, for 15 months. Many major events were cancelled for both 2020 and 2021, including the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal. Controversially, a curfew was put in place province-wide from January to June 2021 and for the first two weeks of January 2022, despite concerns about the effectiveness of curfews to reduce cases. All measures were dropped in the second quarter of 2022, with the provincial state of emergency ending on June 1. Though Quebec took a comparatively harsh approach to public health restrictions, the provincial government, led by Premier François Legault, emphasized keeping schools open for as long as possible, despite initial pushback citing superspreader events. As a result, schools were fully remote for a total of only about 145 days, compared to 220 days in Ontario.
The vaccination campaign started in December 2020 and was rolled out over the next few months in descending order from the most vulnerable groups to the least vulnerable. In May 2021, vaccination against COVID-19 was extended to all adults in Quebec. By the end of that year, Quebec had a vaccination rate among the highest in the developed world, with over 80% of the population having at least one dose. Nonetheless, in September 2021 the province was the first in Canada to institute a vaccine passport for places considered to be high-risk, including restaurants, theatres, gyms, and bars. The vaccine passport was retired in March 2022.
From the start of the pandemic to January 2022, announcements about the current epidemiological situation and related public health measures took place every weekday in a press conference hosted by Premier Legault, the Minister of Health, and the National Public Health Director. The latter, Horacio Arruda, became the well-known and well-liked figurehead of the COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec until his resignation in January 2022. Financial aid programs, most of which ended in 2022, were also announced early in the pandemic for sectors that were not already covered by federal financial aid programs and that were particularly affected by pandemic closures, such as public transportation, restaurants, hotels, and theatres.
Timeline
The pandemic first spread to Quebec in late February 2020, with the first confirmed case being a 41-year-old woman from Montreal who had returned from Iran on a flight from Doha, Qatar. Quebec declared its first Public Health Emergency in its history on March 14, 2020, and it was renewed every 10 days until June 1, 2022, when it was officially ended.
On March 15, 2020, the government enforced the closure of various entertainment and recreational venues, and on March 23, all non-essential businesses were ordered to close. By the end of March, over four and a half thousand cases had been confirmed in all regions of the province. Most deaths occurred in long-term care homes, where the situation became so critical that reinforcements from the Canadian Army were deployed in May. In May and June, the number of daily cases saw a steep decline, leading to the relaxation of some health restrictions. However, beginning in the third quarter of 2020, a second wave of the virus began to emerge in Quebec and throughout Canada. In September 2020, certain restrictions, including the prohibition of private gatherings and the closure of indoor dining rooms, were reinstated in the greater areas of Montreal and Quebec City. As the end of the year approached, cases continued to rise, with daily case counts periodically breaking provincial records, prompting the Quebec government to tighten restrictions further and expand them to more regions. By early December, Quebec had reached a total of 100,000 cases of COVID-19.
Following Health Canada's approval of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, the vaccination campaign began in Quebec on December 14, 2020, with the first vaccine in Canada given to a Quebec City long-term care home resident.
Quebec entered a province-wide lockdown on December 25, 2020 (Christmas Day) and implemented a curfew on January 9, 2021. In February 2021, as a result of a decline in cases, Quebec began to reopen the economy regionally, allowing for non-essential businesses to reopen. Schools, which had briefly moved to fully remote instruction, also reopened for in-person classes. The respite proved to be short-lived; soon after, in April, the reopening was reversed due to a third wave driven by new variants of the virus, especially the Alpha variant. Notably, gyms were forced to close again, capacity limits for places of worship were lowered, and a mixed model of in-person and remote instruction was enacted in high schools.
As cases began to fall in tandem with the acceleration of the vaccination campaign in May, restrictions started to loosen, with the curfew ending on May 28 in the entire province. Restrictions were expected to continue to gradually lift over the summer, with the mask mandate meant to end at the end of August, but a fourth wave halted these plans. In order to avoid another lockdown as a result of the fourth wave, the province instituted a vaccine passport system on September 1, 2021, becoming one of the first provinces in Canada to do so. Despite this measure, a partial lockdown began on December 20, 2021, as the highly contagious Omicron variant generated record numbers of new cases. The lockdown was tightened on New Year's Eve, with restaurants being forced to close for indoor dining, private gatherings prohibited, and a curfew reinstated, despite continuing concerns about the effectiveness of curfews to reduce cases.
Protests against COVID-19 vaccine mandates and restrictions swept across Canada in January and February 2022 as the Omicron wave was dying down. Shortly after, several provinces began announcing the end of all measures, including mask mandates and the vaccine passport. Quebec, which had implemented some of the strictest measures in North America during the Omicron wave, took the least permissive approach among the provinces; in February 2022, with an estimated three million Quebecers having had contracted COVID-19, they announced a reopening plan that would include the gradual suspension of the vaccine passport by March 12 while maintaining the mask mandate, which had been in effect since July 2020. Finally, on May 14, 2022, the mask mandate for most indoor spaces was lifted, making Quebec the last province to do so. However, masks remained mandatory in healthcare facilities, including hospitals and medical clinics, until April 7, 2023. The province also stopped recommending that everyone get a booster COVID-19 vaccine dose.
Vaccination
Progressive regional alert and intervention system On September 8, 2020, the province unveiled a four-tier, colour-coded system of regional health restrictions based on caseload and healthcare capacity. Tiers ranged from green to red, with each tier imposing progressively more severe restrictions than the last. Initially, only the most populated areas of Montreal and Quebec City were in the red zone. However, by the time the winter wave hit its peak a few months later, all 18 regions of the province were in either the orange or red zone. Over the remainder of the winter, into spring, Quebec slowly downgraded the alert level in each region. By June 28, 2021, all regions had entered the green zone, bringing an end to the regional alert system.
Throughout its entire duration, all tiers were subject to physical distancing, mandatory masking, and basic hygiene practices.
Quebec progressive regional alert and intervention system as of June 28, 2021LevelDescription1 - VigilanceResidents urged to remain vigilant and practise all basic health guidance. Private gatherings limited to 10 people from different households if held indoors, or 20 people if held outdoors. Social distancing and masks strongly recommended for people who are not fully vaccinated but not required. Weddings, funerals, and religious gatherings limited to 250 people. Restaurants open with a maximum of 10 people per table if indoors, or 20 people if outdoors. Indoor venues, such as stadiums and cinemas, limited to 500 people per section for a total of 7,500 people. Masks can be taken off once seated, as long as social distancing is maintained. Outdoor venues limited to 15,000 people. Bars, brasseries, casinos, and taverns open with a maximum of 10 people per table if indoors, or 20 people if outdoors. Must end alcohol sales by 1:00 a.m. and close by 2:00 a.m. Sports competitions allowed with a maximum of 25 spectators if held indoors, or 50 spectators if held outdoors.2 - Early WarningActions may be taken to strengthen enforcement and compliance with existing basic measures: Private indoor gatherings limited to the residents of two households. Private outdoor gatherings limited to 8 people from different households or the residents of two households. Religious gatherings limited to 250 people. Weddings and funerals limited to 50 people. Restaurants open with a maximum of two households per table. Bars, brasseries, casinos, and taverns open with a maximum of two households per table. Must end food and drink sales by midnight and close by 2:00 a.m. Must maintain log of customers' information for contact tracing purposes. Venues, such as stadiums and cinemas, limited to 250 people per section. Masks can be taken off once seated, as long as social distancing is maintained.3 - AlertStronger restrictions and compliance measures are enforced to mitigate a heightened risk of infection: Private indoor gatherings prohibited with exceptions made for certain groups. Private outdoor gatherings of either a maximum of 8 people from different households or the residents of two households allowed. Religious gatherings limited to 100 people. Weddings and funerals limited to 25 people. Bars, brasseries, casinos, and taverns closed. Museums, zoos, aquariums, libraries, and cinemas open. Restaurants open with a maximum of either 2 adults from different households, accompanied by their minor children, or residents of the same household permitted per table. Indoor visits in long-term care homes restricted to 1 verified informal caregiver per day. Outdoor visits in long-term care homes restricted to 5 people per day. Stadiums open but limited to a total of 2,500 people, with a limit of 250 people per section. Gyms open and indoor sports permitted. Group activities limited to pairs and members of the same household when indoors and to eight people when outdoors.