Quebecers have been extraordinary in the last few months. It's in Quebec that
people have been the most careful and have respected public health instructions
the most. But we must stay careful. We don't want to see the contagion restart
as we're seeing in many states in the U.S. We don't want to be forced to go
back to a lockdown. That's why we've reopened progressively in the last weeks.
But there are more and more people on public transport and we're now in a new
phase. I'm announcing today that wearing a mask will be mandatory on public
transport starting July 13. Those not wearing a mask won't be allowed on
public transport. This applies for everyone above the age of 12. For
children between two and 12, we recommend the masks but it's not mandatory.
Children under two years old shouldn't wear a mask.
As for shops and in other public places, we continue to strongly recommend
wearing a mask but for now we won't make it mandatory. But this could
change. Let's be clear: wearing a mask is not about fear, it's about respect.
Wearing a mask protects other people in case we're infected, so I ask every
Quebecer to follow the public health instructions out of respect for each
other. Tank you.
You mentioned before that you
don't want police, hundreds of police officers inside the stations or bus
stops to police this new rule. The STM union says they don't want to have their
drivers have to enforce it. So how exactly will the new law be enforced?
Okay, we expect the transport commission, the different societies of transport to
apply the rule, so I understand and I'm not surprised by what you're saying but
we expect them to apply the new rule.
But will there be any kind of fines or how
is it going to work if someone wants to get on to the bus but the bus driver
says well I'm not dealing with this
Yeah. What would happen if the unions say
"I start not collecting any more money or not assuring that we have a pass" or
whatsoever. I think it has to be a rule.
So there will be no police
enforcing this whatsoever on buses or on métro,
there'll be no tickets, no fines if you manage to get inside a métro —
No one at the door. You're in the metro. You don't have a
mask. Metro security won't be able to fine, they'll just have to ask you
to leave? Can you just go into detail please .
The rule will be that the only consequence will be that you cannot use the transport.
There's no fine, any amount of money to be payable, but you won't have access.
And I understand that in the métro of course you can wear a mask when you
get in and then you can change your mind and not wear the mask, but we also need
to count on the respect and solidarity of the population because the goal
is to protect other people so I think people not wearing a mask would show a
lack of respect and I think that in Quebec it's not something you want to show.