Quebec Premier François Legault on Wednesday announced lockdowns for Quebec City, Levis and Gatineau, saying the COVID-19 situation is "critical" with cases growing "almost exponentially."

The lockdowns will take affect April 1 at 8 p.m. until April 12 with schools, non-essential businesses, theatres, cinemas, gyms and restaurants closing. The 8 p.m. curfew is also being brought back in those three cities.

As of Thursday, four regions of the province are being moved to red zones, the maximum alert level in the province, including the Outaouais, Capitale Nationale, Chaudières-Appalaches and Bas Saint-Laurent.

Legault made the announcement in Quebec City, just one day after expressing concern over the rise in infections in those four regions.

Legault warned that with variants of concern, the pandemic "could explode in any region."

MORE: https://globalnews.ca/news/7731357/quebec-imposes-lockdown-for-3-cities-as-covid-19-cases-rise-ahead-of-easter-long-weekend/

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