In a highly unusual sight for the Canadian capital, officers were seen Wednesday conducting motorist spot checks on the spans.

Ottawa is located in the province of Ontario, but a large chunk of its greater region is shared with the smaller city of Gatineau in the province of Quebec. In these parts, the Ontario-Quebec boundary follows the Ottawa River, which cuts through the region and rumbles past Parliament Hill.

Straddling the provincial frontier during the global public-health crisis has put the city of Ottawa in an awkward position.

“At the end of day... the Quebec government can do what it wants on their side of the border,” Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson told reporters Wednesday on a conference call. “We don’t believe, on this side, that it’s necessary. We certainly would not support putting municipal police resources on five bridges 24 hours a day. I don’t think it would make any sense and it would take police away from doing vital work during this pandemic.”

Watson said there is a “jurisdictional challenge” with the checkpoints because the federal government regulates interprovincial travel and commerce.

Mathieu Lacombe, a Quebec cabinet minister who’s also responsible for the region, wrote on Twitter that his government made the call based on a recommendation from public health experts. “Difficult, but necessary decision. We will get there, don't give up!” wrote Lacombe, who is Quebec’s minister of families.

Quebec has reported by far the most cases of Covid-19 in Canada, even more than Ontario despite its smaller population. As a result, Quebec Premier François Legault has frequently been moving faster than his peers in implementing strict response measures.

In a statement Wednesday, the Quebec government said its provincial police force would work with local enforcement to introduce measures to “limit movements” on a random basis. The tougher rules would not affect travel for work, health care, humanitarian support or essential services, the government said. “By limiting entry and exit, public health authorities believe they can further limit and prevent the spread of Covid-19,” the statement said.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was asked about Quebec’s decision to install checkpoints and whether it was time for the federal government to start limiting domestic travel.