COVID-19 vaccine passports officially in effect in Quebec
Quebecers will now have to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 in order to gain access to certain non-essential services, including bars, restaurants and some sports.
"We'll watch how it goes and we will adjust as we go," said Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé, adding further details will be revealed later in the week.
Starting Wednesday, merchants will be required to ask anyone coming into their establishment to not only show proof of vaccination, but also a matching piece of photo ID.
This will allow businesses to confirm that the people entering their space are "adequately protected" against the virus.
Certain groups will be exempted from the rule, including those who participated in the Medicago vaccine trial and those "with contraindications to vaccination against COVID-19."
Anyone who cannot be vaccinated against the virus will have to get a note from their doctor and bring it to a vaccination centre to then be able to register for their passport on Clic Santé.
"People from other provinces or countries will be able to present official proof of vaccination issued by the province or country of residence, as well as proof of identity with an address outside Quebec, to gain access to the places and activities covered by the rollout of the vaccine passport," the ministry adds.
Dubé states, for now, there is no plan to deploy vaccine passport inspectors, but anyone who does not comply with the health measure will be fined.
Quebec's vaccine passport rollout hasn't been without a few hiccups.
The VaxiCode app became available to iOS users last Wednesday, but Android users had to wait several more days before being able to access the app on Google Play.
In addition, many seniors and those who do not have smartphones had to print paper copies of their passports.
“[Some seniors] don’t all have a smartphone; they have flip phones. They’re not connected to the internet and they don’t know what to do,” said Côte Saint-Luc Mayor Mitchell Brownstein.
The province implemented mandatory vaccine passports as a response to the recent increase in cases due to the highly contagious Delta variant.
To see the complete list of activities covered by Quebec's vaccine passport, click here (in French).
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.