Photo: The Canadian Press

Quebec Labour Minister Jean Boulet 

Quebec is announcing that private sector businesses can begin bringing back up to a quarter of their employees to the office as of Saturday.

Labour Minister Jean Boulet said today 25 per cent office occupancy is the maximum, adding the government continues to strongly recommend people work remotely if they can.

Mask-wearing will be mandatory where physical distancing is not possible, such as in elevators and common areas.

Chantal Rouleau, the minister responsible for the Montreal region, says the gradual re-entry of office workers will help revitalize the city's struggling downtown sector.

Meanwhile, Quebec reported three new COVID-19 deaths today, for a total of 5,636.

The province also reported 129 new cases of the novel coronavirus, for a total of 56,859, of which 26,097 are considered recovered.