Quebec quadrupled vaccine appointments after passport requirements for weed, liquor

Jan 9 2022, 6:02 pm

One Canadian province has found an interesting way around vaccine hesitancy.

After announcing that you’d need a vaccine passport to go into provincial liquor and cannabis stores, appointments for first-dose COVID-19 vaccines skyrocketed.

In a Friday, January 7 retweet of a La Presse article from Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé, the increase was clear.

According to Dubé, in just a matter of days, appointments for first doses of COVID-19 vaccines quadrupled from 1,500 per day to 6,000.

The minister thanked everyone who made the decision to get vaccinated, saying that it’s not too late to get your first dose. “Protégez-vous,” he said.

The surge in first-dose vaccine appointments comes after an announcement on Thursday, January 6 where Quebec announced it would be expanding its vaccine passport requirements.

Starting on Tuesday, January 18, they’ll be required to enter Quebec’s liquor and cannabis stores – Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ) and Société québécoise du cannabis (SQDC.)

One can still order delivery from SAQ without a vaccine passport, but now you’ll need one to go inside.

On Friday, the Ministère de la Santé et des Services Sociaux reported 16,176 new COVID-19 cases in Quebec. Now, Quebec citizens 45-years-old and older can book their appointment for a COVID-19 booster shot.

With files from Tyler Jadah.

Sarah AndersonSarah Anderson

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