Timeline of COVID-19 in Quebec in 2021
Posted December 28, 2021 2:48 pm.
Last Updated December 28, 2021 3:53 pm.
From lockdowns to a historic curfew, Quebec’s 2021 was affected by COVID-19 restrictions. Here’s a timeline of how the pandemic shaped the year for Quebecers.
January
Premier François Legault announced the strictest of pandemic lockdown measures: the start of Quebec’s nearly six-month province-wide curfew. Quebec was the only province to implement such a measure. Quebecers who didn’t have a valid reason – such as for work – couldn’t be out past 8 p.m.
- Lawyer warns of occasional ‘abusive’ curfew ticketing by Montreal police
- Opposition party calls for changes to Quebec curfew after homeless people ticketed
- Montreal’s homeless are being left out in the cold past curfew
- Quebec elementary students return to class after first weekend of provincewide curfew
- Police issue fines as Quebec curfew takes effect, cases continue to rise
- Quebec COVID curfew raises concerns over enforcement, profiling, advocates say
February
Quebec reached a grim milestone: surpassing 10,000 deaths due to COVID-19. That accounted for just under half of Canada’s total deaths from the virus at the time.
End of February into March
Mass vaccination sites were set up around Montreal – including at Olympic Stadium – as vaccinations were announced for the general population.
- As of today, Quebec begins vaccinating seniors age 85 and up
- Quebec starts COVID 19 vaccination bookings for seniors
- Montreal seniors aged 70+ can receive COVID-19 vaccine starting today
- Quebec’s COVID-19 mass vaccination campaign
Mid-May
Quebecers 18 and over could book appointments for their first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine.
End of May
Many restrictions came to an end. The province-wide curfew was lifted, restaurant terraces reopened, gatherings of up to eight people in backyards were allowed, and travelling between regions became permitted.
A reminder of the first wave came when dozens of testimonies were heard at the coroner’s inquiry into deaths at Quebec’s seniors’ residences during the spring of 2020, led by coroner Géhane Kamel.
- Quebec police kept busy on first night without COVID 19 curfew in Quebec
- Quebec Health Minister confident Montreal will reopen at same time as other regions
- Legault to announce reopening plan for Quebec as COVID-19 cases decline
August
The Quebec government announced that a vaccine passport would be implemented in September. Only those fully vaccinated could access non-essential activities in certain high and moderate risk sectors in Quebec, including in bars and restaurants.
The announcement was met with backlash. Protests broke out, and thousands took to the streets of downtown Montreal to denounce it.
- Quebec restaurants get ready for vaccine passport
- Premier Legault touts vaccine passport mobile app on launch day
- Quebec defends vaccine passport system after politicians’ QR codes allegedly hacked
- Quebec’s vaccine passport in action
- Some Quebecers seek fake vaccine passports
- Vaccine passports for some Quebec high school activities
- Demonstrators take to streets of Montreal to protest upcoming vaccine passport
September
Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé announced a vaccine mandate for health-care workers. All unvaccinated employees were to be suspended without pay, but the Oct. 15 deadline was pushed back to November.
Dubé ultimately backtracked on the decision, saying the loss of unvaccinated staff – about 8,000 employees at the time – would have a “devastating effect” on the system.
- Quebec premier issues vaccine mandate for health-care workers
- Poll: Most Canadians think certain unvaccinated workers should be fired
- Quebec backtracks on mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for health care workers
- Quebec judge refuses injunction against abandoned vaccine mandate for health workers
November
Vaccinations were made available to Quebec children. About 650,000 kids aged five to 11 became eligible for a shot.
- Quebec kids start getting COVID shots as provinces gear up for next stage of rollout
- Quebec opens vaccination appointments for children aged five to 11
- Plane carrying doses of COVID-19 vaccines for kids touches down in Canada
- Legault says he knows parents may worry about vaccinating kids, offers reassurances
- Quebec kids start getting COVID shots as provinces gear up for next stage of rollout
- Quebec’s under 12 vaccination campaign advances amid rise in new COVID-19 cases
- Research begins on COVID vaccine for children 6 months to 6 years old
December
COVID-19 boosters were made available for people 60 and over, and for those with health issues.
Right before the holidays, Premier Legault announced new measures to help stop the spread of the Omicron variant. He capped Christmas gatherings at 10 people and limited stores and restaurants to 50 per cent capacity.
Bars, gyms and movie theatres were shut down days before Christmas, with restaurants having to close at 10pm – to help stop the spread as cases hit record levels. And as of Dec. 26 – gatherings inside homes limited to six people or two family bubbles and restaurants also limiting tables to six or two family bubbles.
- Quebec closes bars, gyms and casinos as COVID-19 infections rise
- ‘Over the edge’: Quebec nursing agency laments ‘mess’ caused by Omicron variant
- Quebec testing centres overwhelmed by the fifth wave of COVID-19
- Montreal declares state of emergency, as cases of COVID-19 rise
- Quebec premier Francois Legault warns tough weeks ahead as COVID-19 cases mount
- Restaurants, epidemiologist react to Quebec’s new COVID-19 measures
- Quebec to limit private gatherings to 6 people as of Boxing Day
