Quebec Premier François Legault is set to announce today that face masks will be mandatory in all of the province's indoor venues starting July 18, according to the Montreal Gazette.
Legault was initially reluctant to force people to wear masks when they ventured out into public, but the rise in COVID-19 cases—specifically in Montreal's bars—has sparked concern of a possible second wave of the contagion.
In response, there has been a call by public health officials in Montreal that everyone who has visited a bar since July 1 get tested for the coronavirus. This comes after five bars reported COVID-19 cases within their establishment.
House parties have also contributed to the surge in viral infections, according to health officials. This came to a head when a super spreader event took place—a party in St-Chrysostome in late June—that attracted between 60 and 150 people.
Legault's forthcoming announcement comes as face masks are already considered obligatory on all public transit networks in Quebec. Ontario has made face masks mandatory as well.
The July 18 launch date for the mandatory use of face masks comes just before Quebec's construction holidays—a 14-day period that will see tens of thousands of families go on vacation.
