Quebec to introduce vaccine passport system: Legault

Quebec’s Premier says his province will introduce a vaccine passport system to prevent a fourth wave.

Francois Legault says Health Minister Christian Dubé will announce details in the coming days about how the system will work and when it will begin.

“People who have made the effort to get their two doses should be able to live a somewhat normal life, having access to all activities, including non-essential ones,” Legault said in explaining the vaccine passport plan.

In early July, Health Minister Dubé said a vaccine passport would be put in place by September in areas where COVID-19 outbreaks occur, requiring people to prove they are vaccinated to enter places such as gyms and bars and where COVID-19 transmission is high.

Quebec health officials have reported an average of 160 new daily cases over the past seven days, compared to 74 the previous week. As of Thursday, 84.3 per cent of Quebecers aged 12 and older have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, with 69.7 per cent considered sufficiently vaccinated.

The idea of Canadian provinces implementing a vaccine passport has been a point of contention in recent months as the country continues to see improved vaccination rates.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has said his province will not make vaccine passports mandatory, with the Premier saying a few weeks ago that he’s “never believed in proof” and that “everyone gets their proof when they get the vaccination.”

Ontario’s COVID-19 science advisory table released recommendations on the subject of a vaccine passport, saying a certificate could be used to regulate entry into high-risk locations, including gyms, restaurants, cultural and sports events and in settings like schools and workplaces that require mandatory vaccination.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday that New York City is mandating proof of COVID-19 vaccination to enter certain indoor businesses – including all indoor restaurants, entertainment venues and gyms.

That new requirement, which goes into effect on August 16, applies to indoor dining, gyms, and entertainment venues.

Canada’s public health doctors say the country is seeing the beginning of a fourth wave of COVID-19 but how bad that wave gets will depend heavily on vaccinations.

The Delta variant is more contagious and becoming dominant in Canada but infectious disease specialist Dr. Zain Chagla at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont. says because vaccines are working so well against severe disease, this wave isn’t likely to be anywhere near the crisis levels of the first three waves.

“I don’t foresee a scenario where we go back to the way things were in April of 2020 given that 80 per cent of the population, even if they get COVID, is probably not going to end up with more than flu-like symptoms for a couple of days and then settling out,” Chagla said.

A recent report from the U.S. suggesting vaccinated people can spread COVID-19 as easily as unvaccinated people raised concerns about the effectiveness of vaccines but the report also notes most infections are still occurring in unvaccinated people.

With files from The Canadian Press