Quebec now allowing festivals of 250 people across the province

Now that the government is giving the green light to gatherings of 250 people, the Quebec Tourism Ministry has announced that festivals are no longer banned across the province.

Tourism Minister Caroline Proulx said that organizers can go ahead with indoor and outdoor festivals and events, as long as public health guidelines are followed.

The limit of 250 people must be respected at all times and that means organizers who push ahead with their events must be responsible for crowd control at entry and exit points.

They must also put in place measures to make sure people are maintaining a minimum two metres distance between households.

"Festival and event organizers are professional managers of gatherings and I'm confident that the resumption of activities will be done in a responsible fashion," said Proulx in a statement.

Still, it's not clear how many festival organizers will take the government up on the offer to host a large event.

As of Aug. 3, the maximum number of people who can attend indoor or outdoor events in public venues increased from 50 to 250.

The government said the change was recommended by public health authorities, and that the established rules for physical distancing and hygiene will remain in effect.

Quebec reported 155 new cases of COVID-19 and two more deaths Wednesday.