The premier of the Canadian province of Quebec on Tuesday announced that adult residents who refuse to get vaccinated against COVID-19 would be charged a financial penalty.
Quebec Premier Francois Legault said that not getting vaccinated leads to consequences for the healthcare system and not all Quebecers should pay for that.
The levy would apply only to those who do not qualify for medical exemptions, he added.
It is the first time a provincial government in Canada has announced a financial penalty for people who refuse to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Legault said the amount of the penalty has not been decided, but would be “significant.”
More details would be released at a later date, he added.
About 10 percent of adults in Quebec are unvaccinated, but they represent about 50 percent of intensive care patients, Legault said.
“Those who refuse to get their first doses in the coming weeks will have to pay a new health contribution,” Legault said. “The majority are asking that there be consequences... It’s a question of fairness for the 90 percent of the population that have made some sacrifices. We owe them.”
Quebec previously announced a 10pm to 5am curfew.
Quebec liquor and cannabis stores would also require proof of vaccination to enter starting on Tuesday next week, and the government has warned that shopping malls and hair salons could soon require vaccine passports.
Appointments for first doses jumped immediately after the announcement.
The province on Tuesday reported 62 deaths related to the virus, raising its total to 12,028, the most among Canada’s provinces and territories.
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