* Quebec currently has 2,021 confirmed cases and 18 deaths attributable to COVID-19. * Montreal has declared a local state of emergency and will begin setting up shelters for the city's homeless population. * The Jewish General Hospital will be opening triage centres outside of the emergency room for people with mild COVID-19 symptoms. * Three safe injection sites in Montreal have temporarily closed.The first emergency shelter aimed at helping Montreal's homeless population during the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to be operational Saturday.Mayor Valérie Plante declared a local state of emergency Friday, saying the city wanted at least five sites ready to accommodate homeless Montrealers.The first is expected to open today at Cabot Square. The city is providing security, food, tents and chairs.Resilience Montreal, the day centre that operates near Cabot Square, was forced to close its doors earlier this week. Nakuset, the shelter's co-manager, said the city's initiative will help them properly do their job."It's almost easier to do it outside than it was inside because of the cramped location," she said. "Now in the park, people can move around easier. We also have the opportunity to get them to do social distancing."Details on the second site are expected in the coming days.Yesterday's announcement marks the third time Montreal has declared a state of emergency in four years. The other emergencies were called in response to spring flooding.Plante said she's in constant contact with borough mayors and mayors from the demerged municipalities to prepare for flooding, should it happen again."We're following the situation," Plante said, "kind of crossing our fingers that the ice will melt in a smooth way. Whatever happens, we will deal."Bike shops asking to stay openBike shops, which were not deemed an essential service by the Quebec government, are asking to be allowed to stay open.The bicycle lobby group Vélo Quebec pointed to the fact that car mechanics and repair shops are being allowed to operate, but cyclists don't have the same services.Magali Bebronne, a program manager with Vélo Quebec, says keeping repair shops open to help bikes stay on the road could help people avoid contact with the virus.Cycling offers commuters an option that isn't public transit, she said.A worker in the Port of Montreal and a doctor at Quebec City's Saint-François d'Assise Hospital are among the now 2,012 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Quebec. Nine nurses who came into contact with the doctor are also in self-isolation, with two of them showing symptoms.The Jewish General Hospital, one of the designated sites for treating people with the virus, will be setting up trailers outside of the hospital to evaluate people with mild symptoms. The trailers will not be used for testing.After a patient is evaluated, doctors will determine if the person is well enough to be sent home or must be sent to a clinic or emergency room, a spokesperson for the health authority said.The trailers are expected to be set up in the next week.