Unvaccinated adults in Québec to pay ‘significant’ fee, says premier Legault

Unvaccinated Québecers will be charged a fee for refusing to receive a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Québec Premier Francois Legault says the province will impose an additional fee on all unvaccinated adults to help cover healthcare costs.

This fee will not apply to residents with valid medical reasons.

Legault says the amount of the fee has not been determined yet, but it should be “significant” enough to convince the unvaccinated to get the shot.

It is the first time a government in Canada has announced a fee for people who refuse to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

“Right now these people, they put a very important burden on our health-care network,” Legault said of unvaccinated Québecers. “And I think it’s normal that the majority of the population is asking that there be consequences.

“Yes we will continue to look at spreading the use of the vaccine passport, but I think we have to go further, and I think right now, it’s a question of fairness for the 90 per cent of the population that made some sacrifices, and I think we owe them this kind of measure.”

Less than 10 per cent of those eligible in the province have yet to get a first dose. Roughly 50 per cent of ICU beds are being occupied by the unvaccinated.

“The vaccine is the key to fight the virus, this is why we’re looking for a health contribution for adults that refuse to be vaccinated for non-medical reasons,” said Legault. “Those who refuse to receive their first dose in the coming weeks will have to pay a health contribution.”

Québec reported 62 more deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus Tuesday, pushing the total number of people killed by COVID-19 in the province to 12,028 – the most in Canada.

The province also reported 8,710 new cases of COVID-19, and health officials say 20 per cent of tests came back positive.

The accelerated spread of Omicron has led to staff shortages across Canada, affecting hospitals, long-term care facilities and other essential services. As a result, non-urgent surgeries in Ontario have also been paused, affecting up to 10,000 scheduled procedures every week.

Legault says hospitalizations continue to be the province’s biggest challenge, up by 72 per cent over the last week, with more than 2,700 patients being treated for the virus.

“We estimate that in the next weeks we’ll need 1,000 additional workers for hospitals and 1,500 for CHSLDs,” said the premier. “We’re working closely for union leaders to find solutions.”

A new poll suggests a slim majority of Canadians supported the latest round of lockdowns and other government-imposed restrictions. Fifty-six per cent of respondents agreed governments are making the right decisions to limit the spread of Omicron.

The survey, conducted by Leger and the Association of Canadian Studies, also found 64 per cent of respondents said they supported vaccine passports for malls and other retail outlets, including liquor and cannabis shops but excluding grocery stores. The poll showed 61 per cent of respondents wanted vaccine requirements for public transit users.

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With files from The Canadian Press