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
'Still so much love between us,' Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
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.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Trump's lawyers grill ex-tabloid publisher as 1st week of hush money trial testimony nears a close
After prosecutors' lead witness painted a tawdry portrait of “catch-and-kill” tabloid schemes, defence lawyers in Donald Trump's criminal trial on Friday sought to dig into an account of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election.