Vaccination passport now required at liquor and cannabis shops in Quebec

MONTREAL -

Proof of vaccination is now required to enter SAQ liquor stores (Société des alcools du Québec) and SQDC pot shops (Société québécoise du cannabis) in the province.

Health Minister Christian Dubé announced the measure on Jan. 6, saying that the decision was made to curb the increase in cases of the highly contagious Omicron variant.

He said he hoped the measure would be an added incentive for some to pick up their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The SAQ's union (Syndicat des employés de magasins et de bureaux de la SAQ, SEMB-SAQ-CSN) expressed its concern Tuesday morning for the safety of branch employees.

In a news release, the union is calling for the presence of a security guard at all times in SAQ branches "to avoid employees finding themselves in an uncomfortable, even dangerous, position if they have to refuse access to the store to a person who has not been vaccinated and who is recalcitrant about this new obligation."

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Jan. 18, 2022.