COVID: Quebec will charge unvaccinated Canadians a health fee
Residents of the Canadian province of Quebec who has not been vaccinated against COVID-19 will face a health tax.
Quebec, which has had the most COVID-related deaths in Canada, is currently dealing with an uptick in cases. On Tuesday, the premier stated that the province would be the first in the country to impose financial penalties on those who had not been vaccinated.
Although just roughly 12.8 per cent of Quebec’s population is unvaccinated, they account for nearly half of all hospitalizations.
By January 1, just over 85 per cent of Quebec citizens had gotten at least one vaccine dosage, according to federal data.
People who have not yet taken their first dose of the vaccine will have to pay a “contribution,” Premier Francois Legault announced during a press conference. The fee has not yet been determined, but he expects it will be substantial.
The province stated last week that evidence of immunisation would be required to shop in official cannabis and booze businesses.
A curfew has also been imposed, the pandemic’s second, which runs from 22:00 to 05:00 each day. The death toll from COVID in Quebec reached 12,028 on Tuesday. It follows a 24-hour period in which 62 deaths were reported. The daily rate is close to that of January 2021, before the province’s massive vaccination programme began.
According to provincial data, 45 per cent of COVID patients in intensive care have not been immunised.
On Tuesday, Quebec reported 8,710 new cases. The statistic represents a 20% positive response rate.
In Quebec hospitals, there are now 2,742 COVID patients, with 244 in intensive care.
While unusual, Quebec is not the only region on the globe considering imposing a monetary penalty on those who refuse to be injected.
Beginning later this month, Greeks over the age of 60 will be obliged to pay a €100 (£85; C$142; $113) charge for each month they remain unvaccinated. If COVID patients are not immunised, they must pay for their medical expenses in Singapore.
