The Canadian business community seems to strongly support the decision of the Quebec government to impose the first vaccination passport in the country.
According to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, vaccine passports will help prevent future waves from overly disrupting the economy by allowing people at low risk to go about their daily lives.
“Without that, we have people taken hostage,” stressed its president Perrin Beatty even before the Legault government announced its decision.
Even though 80% of Canadians over 12 have already been vaccinated or have expressed a desire to do so, he says that percentage is too low to guarantee true herd immunity.
“The private sector, like Canadians as a whole, is diverse, but we all agree that we can no longer afford to impose more general containment measures,” Beatty said.
Premier François Legault announced Thursday that a vaccine passport will be introduced in the province to access non-essential services. He said Quebec was at the start of a fourth wave, but did not plan to return to containment measures.
At least two provincial premiers have indicated their intention not to emulate Quebec: Ontarian Doug Ford and Albertan Jason Kenney.
Mr Beatty agreed that the ideal would be an increase in the vaccination rate across the country. He insisted, however, that passports could help protect the health of the population without inflicting major social and economic damage on the country.
“I am fully vaccinated, but if I attended a concert I would feel much more comfortable knowing that the people around me were themselves vaccinated.”
Last month, the Toronto Region Board of Trade urged the Ontario government to implement a vaccine passport system for non-essential business activities.
Its CEO Jan De Silva agreed that getting the vaccine was a personal decision, but being able to participate in major events or go out to eat meals requires a moral responsibility. Small businesses cannot afford another lockdown, she argued.
According to a recent Léger poll, 58% of Canadian respondents support the imposition of a vaccination passport for all essential and non-essential activities.
This support climbs to 78% among member companies of the Montreal Chamber of Commerce, estimates its chairman of the board of directors, Michel Leblanc.
“This is a clear signal from the private sector that sees the vaccine passport as a tool that should be used. And of course, in his opinion, it is because we can no longer shut down the economy,” he said. -He underlines.
Federal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he supports Quebec’s decision, but adds that he will let each province decide for itself. The federal government is reportedly in the process of implementing a secure vaccination certification for international travelers.
While large Canadian companies are pushing for the adoption of the vaccine passport, many sectors are only at the first stage of reflection or do not immediately express their support.
According to the Retail Council of Canada, vaccine passports would not be useful in retail businesses that attract parents with their children under 12 who cannot currently be vaccinated.
The organization is concerned about the question as it wonders about the compulsory wearing of the face covering.
“It would be very difficult for companies to be the vaccine police, just as it was very difficult for them to be the mask police at the time,” said spokeswoman Michelle Wasylyshen.