Quebec introduces ‘telewarrant’ system for police to enforce lockdown orders

MONTREAL – Quebec’s premier promised to crack down on those who violate public health orders on Wednesday as the province continues to grapple with how best to flatten a growing second wave.

Francois Legault said starting Thursday, Quebec police can obtain “telewarrants” permitting them to enter people’s homes to enforce new lockdown orders.

Anyone living in three regions in the highest pandemic alert level – including the Montreal and Quebec City areas – face fines of $1,000 if they are caught gathering indoors with people from another household. The lockdown orders are in effect for at least 28 days.

Legault said if police suspect an illegal gathering they will be able to contact a judge and quickly obtain a warrant “that same evening.”

“If you’re inviting guests for a party, you’re breaking the law,” Legault told reporters in Quebec City.

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Legault announced earlier this week that Quebec will shut down bars, restaurants and most in-home gatherings in its two largest cities for 28 days amid a steady rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

Beginning on Thursday, bars, restaurant dining rooms, concert halls, cinemas and museums in Montreal and Quebec City will close, and people cannot have any visitors at their homes from another address, with the exception of a caregiver or service provider.

People cannot gather outdoors with members outside their household, and anyone who attends a protest march must wear a mask. Those who don’t comply with a warning to disperse will be fined, Legault said.

“We cannot accept that a majority of people pay for the negligence of a minority,” he said. The province reported 838 new cases on Wednesday, as well as a 15-person increase in hospitalizations.

As cases have been rising in both provinces, the premier of Quebec has highlighted the need to find a balance between ensuring public health and protecting the economy and people’s well-being.

Legault opted for a plan he said would shut down prolonged face-to-face interactions, while leaving schools, stores and most workplaces open.

The province’s measures were met with dismay from Montreal restaurant owners, who claim they have been unfairly targeted when their establishments haven’t been linked to any major outbreaks.

Some have said they face going out of business, just after they’ve invested large sums into retrofitting their spaces to better meet public-health guidelines.

Legault said the closures were not a “values judgment,” but rather an attempt to reduce people’s contacts.