Is my city going back into lockdown? A guide to COVID-19 restrictions across Canada

Open this photo in gallery

What rules are the same everywhere?

What’s open and closed

• The essentials are available: Grocery stores and pharmacies are on every jurisdiction’s list of essential businesses, so even if restrictions return to where they were this past spring, these will be available. Currently, restaurants can still offer takeout or delivery, but dine-in service may be restricted to specific hours or seating capacities.
• Work-from-home is okay, and encouraged: Each province has its own guidelines for which businesses can operate physical offices even under the strictest levels of control (more on that below), as well as guidelines for non-essential businesses about how to ensure distancing. Any business whose employees can work from home is allowed to keep running.

Physical distancing

Open this photo in gallery

• Stay at home when you’re not well: f you’ve got COVID-19 symptoms like dry coughing, fever or difficulty breathing, or have been in contact with someone showing those symptoms, self-isolation for 14 days is crucial.
• Stay apart, stay masked: When you do go outside, stay at a distance of two metres (about the length of a hockey stick) from other people. In settings where you can’t do that, non-medical masks can protect you and others from infection, and in most large cities such masks are mandatory in indoor public spaces. Here’s a primer on how to choose a mask that’s right for you and use it properly.

International travel

Open this photo in gallery

• Flights are restricted: Only Canadian citizens, permanent residents and some exempted groups of foreign nationals, like agricultural workers and international students, are allowed into the country right now. That’s only if they don’t have COVID-19 symptoms: Airlines have to refuse passage to anyone showing them.
• The border is restricted: Foreigners can’t enter Canada by land for non-essential reasons like tourism, but supply chains between the two countries are still open for things like food, fuel and medicine. Canadians may be free to visit other countries depending on the entry rules at their destination.
• Self-isolation is mandatory: All Canadians coming home from abroad are required to go home immediately and stay there for 14 days. They should get groceries and supplies delivered rather than going to the store. Under federal law, authorities can charge up to six-figure fines or put people in jail for refusing to do this.

Domestic travel

Open this photo in gallery

• Planes and trains: If you’re travelling between cities by air or rail, make sure you’re feeling okay first. Anyone who flies or rides a Via train must wear a mask that covers the face and mouth, and temperature checks are mandatory before boarding planes.
• Intercity buses: Buses aren’t covered by the same Transport Canada rules as airlines and railways, but many companies have instituted mask-wearing policies too. Check the local health authorities at your point of origin and destination to see how the rules differ; some places may require 14-day self-isolation for new arrivals (more on that below).

---

Cases by province and territory

The numbers in these charts are updated three times daily. Check our virus tracker for more charts and the methodology behind them.

---

Rules by province and territory

Newfoundland and Labrador

Open this photo in gallery

Through the summer, Newfoundlanders got more freedom of movement than many Canadians thanks to the “Atlantic bubble,” but in November it put that on pause, announcing that it would once again require visitors from the Maritimes to self-isolate for two weeks as of Nov. 25. The province is at Level 2 of its five-level alert system, and Level 1 will be as close to a “new normal” as possible until a vaccine or effective treatment for COVID-19 is found.

• Public gatherings: Restricted to 50 or fewer people outdoors or at functions like weddings and funerals. Two individual households are allowed to form exclusive “double bubbles” to gather together in person, and each bubble can invite up to six others from different households to join, as long as they’re not exceeding the limits for their own bubbles by doing so.
• Masks: Everyone over the age of 5 has to wear masks in indoor public spaces including public transit, stores, theatres and the common areas of schools (which does not include classrooms).
• Schools: The province has three scenarios – in-class learning, at-home instruction or a mix of both – that communities can use depending on the COVID-19 risks there. Schools are encouraged to organize students into cohorts to limit exposure to one another, and to encourage pupils and staff to keep two metres apart.
• Interprovincial travel: New arrivals in the province have to self-isolate for 14 days, even if they’re coming from the Maritime provinces, which were previously part of an “Atlantic bubble” allowing free movement.
• COVID-19 testing: Here is the province’s self-assessment tool.

Prince Edward Island

Open this photo in gallery

Prince Edward Island suspended its Atlantic bubble travel rules right after Newfoundland and Labrador: Now, all new entrants have to self-isolate as of Nov. 24. Otherwise, PEI is in the “new normal” phase of its alert system as islanders enjoy many freedoms the rest of Canada doesn’t have.

• Public gatherings: Personal gatherings are limited to 20 people or fewer outdoors and 15 indoors, with physical distancing. More than 50 are allowed at “larger organized gatherings” like weddings, funerals and graduations.
• Masks: Mandatory in indoor public spaces provincewide as of Nov. 20.
• Schools: Schools reopened to students on Sept. 8, with students organized into cohorts to reduce exposure. Parents are asked to take their children to school whenever possible, and schools may add vehicles or walk-to-school programs so there will be fewer riders on buses.
• Interprovincial travel: Anyone who enters PEI from another province has to self-isolate for 14 days.
• COVID-19 testing: Here is the province’s self-assessment tool.

Nova Scotia

Open this photo in gallery

Many businesses and community activities have been reopened with physical distancing in place, but increasing cases in some regions have raised alarms.

• Public gatherings: Events like weddings, funerals, festivals and concerts can have up to 250 people outdoors and 200 (maximum half-capacity) indoors, and family gatherings can have up to 50. Physical distancing is required. But Nova Scotians are also allowed to form 10-person circles that can meet without physical distancing.
• Masks: Required on public transit and in most indoor public spaces.
• Schools: Elementary and high-school students started to go back full-time on Sept. 8, with student cohorting and guidelines to maintain two metres distance or more. Where possible, teachers are asked to move classes outside. Students in Grades 10 to 12 have to wear masks if physical distancing is too difficult.
• Interprovincial travel: New arrivals from outside the Atlantic provinces have to self-isolate for 14 days.
• COVID-19 testing: Here is the province’s self-assessment tool.

New Brunswick

Open this photo in gallery

Most health regions of New Brunswick are currently in “yellow” mode, the second-lowest of four colour-coded stages in its recovery plan, though some populous regions are in the more restrictive orange mode. The lowest stage, green, won’t be reached until there is a COVID-19 vaccine or another effective method for preventing the virus’s spread.

• Public gatherings: In orange zones, people must observe a single-household bubble, but outdoor gatherings of up to 25 are permitted if physical distancing is in place. Yellow zones can have informal gatherings of up to 20 indoors and 50 outdoors.
• Masks: People must wear face coverings in any building open to the general public, with the exception of children under two or in daycare, or people with medical exemptions.
• Schools: K-8 students are in school full-time as of September, while high-school students get a mix of in-class and at-home work. Class sizes are reduced for kindergarten to Grade 5.
• Interprovincial travel: New Brunswick residents don’t have to self-isolate if they’re returning from work in another province or territory, even if it’s beyond the Atlantic bubble. Otherwise, with few exceptions, anyone who arrives from outside the bubble has to self-isolate for 14 days.
• COVID-19 testing: Here is the province’s self-assessment tool.

Quebec

Open this photo in gallery

Quebec is the province hit hardest by COVID-19′s first and second waves, and this fall, much of the province was put under new lockdowns that forbid dine-in restaurant service, bar private homes from having guests and require physical distancing both indoors and outdoors. Check the province’s alert-status map to see what the rules are near you.

• Public gatherings: Much of southern Quebec is at either the orange alert status, which allows an indoor gathering limit of six, or red, which prohibits private gatherings but still allows plumbers, care workers or other permitted groups to visit people’s homes.
• Masks: Mandatory in indoor public places and public transit provincewide, and strongly recommended at any gathering where people can’t keep a two-metre distance.
• Schools: Classes began to resume in late August. All students have to attend in-person class unless they have a doctor’s note saying they or someone they live with is at high risk of COVID-19.
• COVID-19 testing: Quebec’s toll-free assessment number is 1-877-644-4545. A nurse will ask about your situation and advise on next steps.

Ontario

Open this photo in gallery

This fall, the province rolled out a new model of COVID-19 restrictions that initially somewhat reopened its hot spots instead of closing them down. It laid out four colour-coded stages (green, yellow, orange and red) before a lockdown is imposed: Even in red zones, businesses such as dine-in restaurants and gyms can still open with reduced capacity. The province is enacting a lockdown in Toronto and Peel regions starting Nov. 23.

• Public gatherings: In Toronto and Peel, indoor gatherings between households are prohibited and outdoor gatherings have a limit of 10. In red zones, the limit is 10 indoors and 25 outdoors. Organized events like weddings or religious services are allowed more people outside red zones.
• Masks: Municipal bylaws make indoor mask-wearing mandatory in places like Toronto and Ottawa, but it is not mandatory provincewide.
• Schools: Students in Grades 4 to 12 have to wear masks in classrooms: Masks are recommended, but not required, for younger pupils. Students are in class full-time and with standard sizes except in some high-risk school boards, where secondary students are allowed half a full week and class sizes will be capped at 15.
• Interprovincial travel: Domestic entrants to Ontario do not have to self-isolate.
• COVID-19 testing: Here is the province’s self-assessment tool.

Manitoba

Open this photo in gallery

Manitoba has been reintroducing restrictions provincewide, particularly in Winnipeg, as the city’s new caseload hit record highs in the fall. As of Nov. 12, non-essential retail outlets are restricted to curbside pickup and delivery and dine-in restaurant service, museums and theatres are closed.

• Public gatherings: All in-person gatherings outside the household will be forbidden as of Nov. 12.
• Masks: Mandatory in indoor public spaces provincewide, with a penalty of $298 for refusing to wear one.
• Schools: All K-8 students have five days a week of in-class instruction, as do secondary-school students, unless they don’t have enough room for physically distanced classes. Where physical distancing isn’t possible, students will be put in cohorts of no more than 75.
• Interprovincial travel: People entering Manitoba are exempt from 14-day self-isolation if they’ve come from B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, the northern territories or northwestern Ontario, and if they show no symptoms of COVID-19. Otherwise, they have to self-isolate.
• COVID-19 testing: Here is the province’s self-assessment tool and a list of where the testing centres are.

Saskatchewan

Open this photo in gallery

Saskatchewan began rolling back its gathering limits in the fall as COVID-19 spread. Premier Scott Moe has suspended team sports and lowered capacity for public venues.

• Public gatherings: Private indoor gatherings are restricted to five people, and 30 indoors and outdoors for public gatherings, as long as physical distancing can be observed.
• Masks: Mandatory provincewide.
• Interprovincial travel: Self-monitoring for symptoms is recommended for those who’ve travelled to Saskatchewan from elsewhere in Canada, but self-isolation is not required.
• COVID-19 testing: Here is the province’s self-assessment tool.

Alberta

Open this photo in gallery

As cases in Alberta rose sharply since the fall, the Kenney government – which had mostly relied on voluntary COVID-19 rules – imposed harder limits on social gatherings and schools, but stopped short of a lockdown.

• Public gatherings: Indoor gatherings are prohibited provincewide, and outdoor gatherings are limited to 10 people. Weddings and funerals can have a maximum of 10.
• Masks: Masks are mandatory in indoor public spaces in Edmonton and Calgary, but elsewhere they may be either optional or mandatory depending on municipal bylaws.
• Schools: Under the restrictions introduced in November, students in Grades 7 to 12 will have to study remotely from Nov. 30 to Jan. 8.
• Interprovincial travel: Domestic entrants to Alberta aren’t required to self-isolate.
• COVID-19 testing: Here is the province’s self-assessment tool for the public, and their separate one for health-care workers and teachers.

British Columbia

Open this photo in gallery

B.C. reimposed restrictions to stop outbreaks in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley this fall, then extended them provincewide until at least Dec. 7. Here’s what the latest orders say.

• Public gatherings: British Columbians aren’t allowed to hold any social gatherings, of any size, with people outside their household or core bubble. Theatre performances and religious worship are suspended, but funerals, weddings and home-based personal services can continue under strict attendance limits.
• Masks: Mandatory provincewide.
• Schools: Full-time classes resumed on Sept. 10, with students sorted into “learning groups” with a maximum size of 60 in elementary and middle school and 120 in secondary school.
• Interprovincial travel: Domestic travellers don’t have to self-isolate.
• COVID-19 testing: Here is the province’s self-assessment tool.

Nunavut

Open this photo in gallery

Nunavut was spared from the first wave because it isolated quickly and fully. It didn’t get its first confirmed COVID-19 case until November, when the virus quickly spread in a remote hamlet and led to a territory-wide lockdown.

• Public gatherings: Limited to five people. Gatherings at home are prohibited.
• Schools: The lockdown closed schools to all but essential workers, though remote learning is still being offered.
• Interterritorial travel: Entry into Nunavut is restricted to residents and critical workers. They must prove residency, fill out a travel request form and self-isolate for 14 days before they fly in either Ottawa, Winnipeg, Edmonton or Yellowknife.
• COVID-19 testing: If you have COVID-19 symptoms, call 1-888-975-8601 from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. or contact your local health centre.

Northwest Territories

Open this photo in gallery

The territory is in Phase 2 of a four-phase plan, and the implementation of the next phase depends on when the rest of Canada clears its second wave of infections. The final phase would lift all restrictions, but only if there is a vaccine or an effective treatment accessible within the territory.

• Public gatherings: Outdoor gatherings of up to 25 indoors and 50 outdoors are allowed with physical distancing, but at home, Northwest Territories residents can have only five people over, to a maximum of 10. The government recommends having a “fave five” who can come over to limit mixing among different households.
• Schools: K-6 students have classroom “bubbles” in which they can interact without physical distancing, but a one-metre distance will be expected for Grades 7 to 9 and two metres for Grades 10 to 12.
• Interterritorial travel: Travel through all points of entry into the territory, both air and road, is prohibited except for essential workers. Anyone entering has to self-isolate.
• COVID-19 testing: Here is the territory’s self-assessment tool.

Yukon

Open this photo in gallery

After its second-wave outbreaks began, the Yukon government introduced an indoor mandatory mask policy that takes effect Dec. 1.

• Public gatherings: Limited to 10 people or fewer indoors, and up to 50 outdoors. Social bubbles are capped at 15 people.
• Interterritorial travel: Those entering Yukon have to self-isolate for 14 days, even if they’re residents of other northern territories or British Columbia who previously had an exemption. Americans travelling through the territory to and from Alaska have to use a designated route; maps are available at border crossings.
• COVID-19 testing: Here is the territory’s self-assessment tool.

---

More coronavirus resources

André Picard answers reader questions

How to self-isolate

Physical distancing, and how to convince loved ones to do it

Can’t stop touching your face? Here’s how to break the habit

Your cleaning questions answered

What essentials to buy

How to protect your mental health

How to apply for EI and other emergency benefits

Your employment law questions answered

---

Compiled by Globe staff

With reports from The Canadian Press

---

Our Morning Update and Evening Update newsletters are written by Globe editors, giving you a concise summary of the day’s most important headlines. Sign up today.