In Quebec, you will soon need the vaccine pass to buy alcohol and cannabis

To drink and consume cannabis, you must be vaccinated. This is the message sent to Quebec, the Canadian province most affected by the Omicron wave, to encourage even more unvaccinated people to take their first dose. Quebec has decided to introduce restrictions against the unvaccinated to “protect them against themselves” and “make them understand that they must stay at home”. From January 18, stores selling alcohol and cannabis will only be accessible to people with a vaccination passport, explained Thursday the Minister of Health of the French-speaking province, Christian Dubé, during a press conference.

“This is a first step that we are taking. We must protect them against themselves and protect our health system”, explained the Minister. “If the unvaccinated are unhappy there is a very simple solution: go get your first dose, it’s free and easy!” He added. In the coming days, other non-essential businesses will be added to the list of places where the vaccine passport will be required, the minister said.

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Nearly 2,000 hospitalizations in the province

In Quebec, nearly 82% of the population over the age of 5 has received two doses of the anti-Covid vaccine and 20% received a third, according to the latest update from the province’s Ministry of Health. But in recent days, hospitalizations have skyrocketed in a province where the health system is weakened by a lack of personnel.

The latest report shows 1,953 hospitalizations and 15,874 new cases in the province, a “tidal wave” according to Christian Dubé who described the situation in hospitals as “very, very difficult”. Quebec has tightened health restrictions sharply since the end of December: a nighttime curfew has been imposed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., schools and universities are closed, as are cinemas, bars, restaurants, sports clubs. And private gatherings are prohibited under pain of a heavy fine. On Monday, the Canadian army was deployed to the province to provide logistical assistance to the Covid-19 vaccination campaign.