| News
August 28, 2020 – Federal and provincial government update on the COVID-19 update
Here is an update on recent decisions and actions by the Canadian and Québec governments in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic.
International borders closed until September 30
Canada’s Public Security minister, Bill Blair, announced that the closing of international borders will be extended from September 21 to 30 in order to limit the introduction and spread of COVID-19 in the country.
The land border with the United States remains closed to all non-essential travel until September 30.
These measures have been renewed from month to month since the spring due to the pandemic.
Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada continue to have the right to enter the country. However, they must self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.
Self-quarantine period reduced to 10 days
The Québec minister of Health and Social Services reduced the self-quarantine period from 14 to 10 days for people who have contracted COVID-19 based on certain conditions, including not having had fever for at least 48 hours on the tenth day and not having had any other symptoms in the preceding 24 hours, excluding a cough or loss of taste, which can persist.
These conditions were determined based on new recommendations issued by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States.
The provision does not apply to people who are in isolation because they were in contact with infected people or immunosuppressed people who have been hospitalized in intensive care due to COVID-19, or to travellers.
Sports, artistic and extracurricular activities authorized
Originally prohibited for the return to school, all sports, arts and extracurricular activities will be permitted as of September 14, said Québec Premier François Legault “if all is going well” in schools.
Mr. Legault made this announcement, noting that it is a major challenge and that there cannot be, between now and then, “a new explosion of the virus with consequences for the elderly.”
To allow for the resumption of extracurricular activities that young people have been asking for, the premier reiterated the guidelines that must be followed, that outbreaks must be limited and that the number of people infected must remain relatively low (less than 20 cases per million inhabitants).