Arruda warns unauthorized businesses to stay closed as most Montreal retailers gear up for May 25

As retail businesses with an outdoor entrance operating in the greater Montreal area prepare to reopen next Monday, Quebec's public health director, Dr. Horacio Arruda, is warning those who don't fall under that category to remain closed.

"Don't think that because we open one sector [and] your sector is not open that you can do it by yourself," Arruda said Tuesday.

Only retail stores with separate street entrances — in other words, not those located in shopping malls — will be allowed to open. The province is still figuring out what to do about all the other businesses, ranging from restaurants to gyms, that are still closed throughout Quebec.

Even though the situation in Montreal is improving — the province reported the lowest number of new COVID-19 cases since April 11 on Tuesday — Arruda says the situation is still very fragile.

"There is active transmission, especially in certain sectors of Montreal," he said.

Arruda said if the situation worsens in the next few weeks, the province will close certain sectors again.

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Small family businesses seek go-ahead

Certain businesses that have been deemed non-essential and don't have an entrance to the outdoors are asking for a clearer indication from the Quebec government as to when they can reopen and under what conditions.

Plaza Pointe-Claire, a small mall in Montreal's West Island occupied by family businesses, has several shops that are near an outdoor entrance, although they don't all have a direct outdoor entrance to their stores.

Mike Smith, who owns a vacuum business called Vacupro and is the president of the Plaza Pointe-Claire merchants' association, says it would be possible to reopen some of the shops and maintain physical distancing.

He said if large retailers can have dozens of people lined up to get inside, his small independent business can also reopen safely.

He said fences and barricades could be set up to ensure people keep their distance from one another, and the association is in touch with the city inspector to see if there is any way they can allow certain businesses to allow foot traffic.

The association is also looking into allowing customers in through the back door, which some businesses use for delivery, although the government has not given its approval to that practice.

"We're just looking for a little bit of fairness and to understand exactly what those rules are," Smith said.

Some of the stores are adapting to the rules already, he said: Christine Ringuette owns a medical equipment business that is selling products through a window, and Smith's business is open online and doing parking lot pickups.

Hairdressers, massage therapists up next

Later this week, Arruda said, the province will issue guidelines for people in businesses where maintaining physical distancing is more challenging, such as hairdressers and massage therapists.

"I'm asking people to be patient," Arruda said. "We're working on it, and we should be able to announce more in the coming days."