Quebec vaccine passport
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Vaccine passports will prevent another Quebec lockdown if the pandemic returns

by Lorraine Carpenter

Only double-vaccinated people will have access to non-essential goods and services.

In a press conference this afternoon, Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé announced that vaccine passports will effectively prevent future lockdowns in the province, allowing double-vaccinated people to access non-essential services and goods that would have been closed or unavailable during the first three waves of the pandemic.

This passport system will only be implemented if the COVID-19 situation deteriorates significantly, and once everyone in the province has had the opportunity to receive both vaccine doses, which Dubé estimated would be around Sept. 1.

If the epidemiological situation worsens due to the Delta or some other variant (as it is in the U.K., in U.S. states with low vaccination rates and in other parts of the world), Dubé suggested that high-risk activities like going to the gym, going to bars or playing contact sports would probably require vaccine passport use. Depending on the severity of the situation, activities that would pose a moderate risk of transmission, like attending spectator sports or art events, might also require showing a vaccine passport.

“With vaccination we have good an alternative to generalized lockdowns. It will be good for education, for the the economy and also very good for our health network.”

—Christian Dubé

In light of this announcement and the continued spread of COVID-19 around the world, Dubé stressed the importance of getting both doses of the vaccine, particularly people aged 18–35, who appear to be taking the situation less seriously. Quebec public health director Horacio Arruda noted that 95% of Quebecers who are currently ill with COVID-19 are those who are not (adequately) vaccinated.

Quebecers can now get their second dose four weeks after the first.

Vaccine passports will prevent another Quebec lockdown if pandemic returns

To make a vaccination appointment in Quebec, please click here. For more on COVID-19 in Quebec, please visit the Santé Québec website.

For the latest news updates, please visit the News section.

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by Lorraine Carpenter

Editor in chief
Lorraine Carpenter was born in Montreal and studied communications and journalism at Concordia. She co-founded Cult MTL in 2012 following 12 years at the now-defunct Montreal alt weekly the Mirror, where she worked in editorial as copy editor and music editor. She’s dedicated to supporting the cultural scene in Montreal.