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Quebec government declares residential construction essential service

The Quebec government will allow some residential construction to resume as an essential service during the COVID-19 shutdown that has brought much of the provincial economy to a halt.

Premier Francois Legault said today the government is taking the step so a housing crisis is not added on top of the current public health crisis.

Construction and renovation work on housing units that had been slated for completion by July 31 will be allowed to resume next Monday.

Building inspections and land surveying for residential construction will also be permitted, and the necessary supply chains will be reopened.

Legault said the construction work will be carried out respecting health guidelines to avoid the spread of the novel coronavirus, including a requirement that workers maintain two metres of distance between each other.

The provincial government first issued a list of essential services and businesses that can remain open, including grocery stores, financial institutions and construction firms for emergency purposes, in late March.