Quebec announced a controversial tax on unvaccinated residents. Vaccine bookings jumped.
The premier of Québec last week warned of a new rule requiring proof of vaccination for anyone entering its government-run liquor and cannabis stores, the only legal outlets for hard spirits and weed in the Canadian province. The move paid off: vaccination appointments spiked, rising to 6,000 bookings the next day, up from an average of 1,500 per day before the rule was announced.
Québec has now followed that strategic carrot with a controversial stick. Yesterday (Jan. 11), provincial premier Francois Legault declared that anyone who is unvaccinated in the province will soon need to pay an additional “health contribution” fee to help cover the costs of caring for the sick and managing disruptions through the pandemic.
Legault has so far only said that the new tax will be a “significant” amount, and not less than C$100 ($80), though anyone who has a legitimate medical reason for not getting vaccinated would not have to pay it.
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