Quebec begins to penalize people who refuse COVID vaccines

By Paula Newton | CNN

The Canadian province of Quebec announced on Tuesday that residents who refuse to get a Covid-19 vaccine will soon have to pay a fine.

The fines would be a way for unvaccinated people to contribute to an overwhelmed public health care system, authorities say.

“Right now, these people, they put a very important burden on our health care network, and I think it’s normal that the majority of the population is asking what the consequences will be,” Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said. Quebec constitution François Legault said at a news conference on Tuesday.

“It’s also a question of fairness to the 90% of the population that have sacrificed – and I think we owe them this kind of measure,” he added.

The fine will not apply to those with medical exemptions, and no details have been released. However, Legault said the amount hit would be “significant.”

According to the Quebec government, nearly 90% of eligible Quebec patients have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Public health officials say the majority of patients in Quebec hospitals are still unvaccinated. Officials have not said how many hospitalized Covid patients have not been vaccinated.

Last week, Quebec announced that people would have to get vaccinated if they bought alcohol or marijuana. Quebec’s Health Minister, Christian Dubé, said in a tweet that following the announcement, vaccination appointments had spiked.

“In just a few days, appointments for the first dose went from 1.5K per day to over 6K yesterday. Thank you to everyone who decided to get vaccinated. It’s not too late to get your first dose. Protect yourself,” Dubé said.

Quebec, where nearly a quarter of all Canadians live, was one of the first provinces in Canada to introduce vaccine passports. Proof of vaccinations is required to eat out at restaurants, go to the gym, or attend sporting events.

And last month, an evening curfew was imposed for a second time to limit the spread of the virus.

Quebec is not the first to implement such measures to encourage people to get vaccinated.

Last week, Italy made vaccination against Covid-19 mandatory for people aged 50 and over.

Proof of vaccination is already mandatory for teachers and healthcare workers in Italy. And all employees have been required to show proof of vaccinations or show negative pre-employment results since October.

The new vaccine decree for people 50 years of age and older removes the option to take a test instead of a vaccination. A government source told CNN on Thursday, people who refuse to be vaccinated risk being fined 600-1,500 euros (about $680-$1,700).

After five days, they will lose their pay but will not be fired from their position. This means they can get money again if they get vaccinated, the source said.