Quebec will tax the unvaccinated, considered “a financial burden”

Refusing to be vaccinated against the coronavirus will soon have a cost in Quebec. The Canadian province, strongly affected by the Omicron wave, will implement in the coming weeks a new tax – called “health contribution” – which will only affect people not vaccinated against Covid-19.

“We are working on a health contribution” for “all adults who refuse to be vaccinated“because they represent”a financial burden for all Quebecers“Quebec Prime Minister François Legault said Tuesday, January 11. According to him, the 10% of Quebecers who have not received any vaccine dose to date should not”harm“to the 90% who were vaccinated.

“It’s not for all Quebecers to pay for that“, he hammered during a press conference, specifying that the government of the French-speaking province wanted this to represent a”significant amount“.”I understand and I feel this discontent with regard to the unvaccinated minority which comes, all things considered, to clog our hospitals“, he added.

The Premier of Quebec explained that these 10% of unvaccinated adults represented 50% of people in intensive care, citing a situation “shockingThis tax would not apply to people who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons.

Quebec is one of the first places to consider specific taxation for those who refuse the vaccine. A few days ago, Quebec had already announced that certain non-essential businesses would be banned for non-vaccinated people, starting with its stores selling alcohol and cannabis.

The strategy of the Government of Quebec, led by the Coalition Avenir Quebec, is criticized by many opposition parties. Eric Duhaime, the leader of the Conservative Party of Quebec, estimated on Twitter Tuesday that the Prime Minister continued “to find tools and even a new tax to divide Quebecers“. The Quebec solidaire party deplores a measure that forgets”completely“vulnerable people and the leader of the Liberal Party of Quebec, Dominique Anglade, in favor of the vaccination obligation, evokes a”diversion“.

In an attempt to stem the new wave, Quebec announced on December 30 the return of certain restrictions, including the 10 p.m. curfew and the ban on private gatherings. In total, 2,742 people with Covid are hospitalized in Quebec, which has about 8 million inhabitants and some 255 people are in intensive care. Hospitalizations also continue to increase in Ontario, Canada’s next and most populous province with 3,220 people hospitalized (+753 in 24 hours), as does the number of people in intensive care (477, +39).