With the number of daily COVID-19 cases seemingly spiralling out of control during the province’s holiday shutdown, the Quebec government is now considering imposing even harsher restrictions.

The province is considering keeping schools closed for an extra week, while also shutting down non-essential activities in the manufacturing and construction sectors, sources tell Radio-Canada.

The province is also mulling the idea of imposing a curfew, a recommendation made by Quebec Public Health, according to Radio-Canada. If imposed, it would be Quebec’s first curfew since the start of the pandemic. 

“That is an extremely restrictive measure,” Benoit Barbeau, a virologist in the department of biological sciences at the University of Quebec in Montreal, told CBC Montreal’s Daybreak.

“The government definitely has to consider how the population will accept such measures. It’s obviously to make sure there is not too much ongoing activity after these [curfew] hours.”

It’s not yet clear if a curfew would affect the movement of citizens or just impose restricted hours on businesses.

• AnalysisQuebec thought it had learned from the 1st wave of COVID-19, so why is it facing another lockdown?

• Will Quebec’s lockdown be extended now that COVID-19 is still surging? Some experts hope so

Premier François Legault held a meeting with opposition leaders Tuesday afternoon to brief them about the new measures which are expected to be unveiled during a news conference on Wednesday. 

According to Radio-Canada, they will include at least three more weeks of lockdown, mandatory working from home for anyone in a position to do so, and one or two weeks of online learning before students return to in-person classes.

Daycares, however, will remain open throughout.