Quebec’s vaccine passport program beings Sept. 1
MONTREAL – Quebec’s vaccine passport will come into effect on Sept. 1, Health Minister Christian Dubé announced on Tuesday.
The program is for fully vaccinated Quebecers and will be able to participate in non-essential activities deemed moderate to high risk.
The province will test a smartphone application over the next two weeks that will run the vaccine passport system.
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BACKGROUND: Quebec to introduce vaccine passport system: Legault
Dubé says the passport will be based on the digital QR codes that are issued upon vaccination.
-QR codes on paper will also be accepted, they can be mailed
– An app is being developed to be in use as of Sept 1. for digital proof
-The app will be free and in Smartphone app stores— CityNews Montreal (@CityNewsMTL) August 10, 2021
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The passport software would be used in settings with a high degree of contact, such as festivals, bars, restaurants and gyms, the minister said.
“These two pilot projects and maybe others in bars will allow us to make the necessary adjustments to the application mechanics,” he said.
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As recently as July 23, Dube had said the government would impose a vaccine passport system only in areas of the province where COVID-19 transmission was high. He had said that young people getting vaccinated would determine whether the government would need to use the passports.
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Asked what had changed to lead to the provincewide imposition of the passport on Sept. 1, Dube responded, “the variant,” referring to the more contagious Delta variant of the novel coronavirus.
#WATCH: “Excluding people who didn’t take the vaccine, it’s marginalization,” says one Montrealer, ahead of Quebec announcing the details of how its vaccine passport will work. Hear what other Montrealers has to say and whether they think it’s a good idea. @CityNewsMTL pic.twitter.com/wGN63VBT8J
— Alyssia (@rubertuccinews) August 10, 2021
Quebec reported seven more people in hospital with COVID-19 Tuesday, the highest single-day rise in hospitalizations linked to the coronavirus since mid-May. Health officials said 62 people were in hospital with the disease and 18 were in intensive care. Officials also reported 234 new infections but no more deaths linked to COVID-19.
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They said 40,691 doses of vaccine were administered in the past 24 hours, and the province’s public health institute said 84.8 per cent of residents 12 and over have received at least one dose of vaccine and 72.2 per cent are considered adequately vaccinated.
Dube said more details about the smartphone application will be released in the coming weeks. The basic idea, he added, is that the software _ which businesses and patrons would need to download _ would read the QR code sent to people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19.
The minister said the application would only read the codes and not collect any other user data, nor would there be a centralized database storing user information.
