Masks mandatory for high school students, organized sports prohibited in Quebec's red zones

High school students in Quebec's red zones willbe required to wear masks at all times on school grounds, organized sports will be prohibitedand gyms closed under new restrictions aimed at containing the spread of the coronavirus.

The new rules, announced today, go into effect Oct. 8 until at least Oct. 28.

Education MinisterJean-Franois Roberge said students in Grade 10 and 11 will pivot to a hybrid form of schooling, where they will be physically in school only one out of every two days to reduce class sizes.

Roberge said allintramural sports, competitions between schoolsand school outings will be prohibited in red zones.

Gym classes and in-school sportswill be allowedon the condition that all students remain within the same groups as they do for their classes.

Roberge said the new restrictions are an attempt to limit exposure to two bubbles: the classroom and home.

"All the actions we are taking could and should prevent us from closing schools," he said.

Prior to the new restrictions, students Grade 5and up wererequired to wear a mask when walking in indoor shared spaces, such as hallways,and while on the school bus, but not in the classroom or outside.

Roberge said masks still won't be required in the classroom for elementary school students.

As of Thursday,in-person courses and activitiesin universities andCEGEPs(community colleges) are also suspended in red zones, with only limited exceptions.

Many higher-learning institutions hadalready decided to move their semesters online, but certain activities, such as labs, had been permitted.

On Monday, Quebec reported the highest single-day total since the pandemic started, with1,191 new cases.

WATCH| Public health explains why rules are different for high school, elementary pupils

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The virus is the same, but behaves differently. Senior public health adviser Dr. Richard Mass explains why Quebec's increased COVID-19 measures are aimed at older school children.

The greater Montreal area, as well as the Quebec City and the Chaudire-Appalaches regions, were designated as red zones under the province's COVID-19alert system last week. As of midnight Monday, three towns in the Gasp region will join them.

As of Oct. 2, there were 1,423 active COVID-19cases in Quebec schools,across the province's network of3,089 public and private schools.

No more sports, for now

The new prohibitions onsports and gyms extendto organized recreational activities such as yoga and aerobics.

Isabelle Charest, the province's minister responsible forsports, said she was disappointed to make the announcementbut they were necessary given the rise in cases.

"I know how important sport is to school success, for mental health, for motivation and, of course, for physical fitness," said Charest, a former Olympian short-track speedskater.

"I know how important sports are, but this ordeal we are going through, it requires sacrifice on all our parts."

Monday was the fourth day in a row where Quebec's daily total has exceeded1,000.

Last spring, there were only five days whenthe province saw more than 1,000 cases the highest of which was on April 15, when there were 1,104 cases reported.

Although the rate of positive results was higher in April and May, suggesting there were more cases in the community at that time, experts saythe second wave of the virus presents distinct challenges.

Hospitalizations have also begun to climb in the province in recent days.