QUEBEC — The head of a Quebec bar owners' association says the provincial government is banning karaoke indefinitely due to concerns over COVID-19.
Renaud Poulin of the Corporation des proprietaires de bars, brasseries et tavernes du Quebec says he was informed of the measure by the provincial Health Department Thursday.
The decision comes after a night of singing in a Quebec City karaoke bar in late August was linked to dozens of cases of COVID-19.
As of Thursday, the regional health agency said 72 cases were directly linked to Le Kirouac bar, as well as an unspecified number of secondary infections.
The provincial government did not immediately confirm the ban, but the province's top doctor has expressed concern over karaoke in recent days, saying the droplets projected by singing makes the activity a risky one.
Poulin said the decision was made without consulting bar owners and will cause job losses and economic hardship for some 500 businesses across the province.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2020
The Canadian Press