Quebec public health officials are bracing for a fourth wave of COVID-19. The government, aiming to head off growing case numbers, has promised to implement a vaccine passport for people who have received both doses.
Despite all of Quebec’s vaccination efforts, a new wave of the pandemic is around the corner, according to Dr. Gaston De Serres, an epidemiologist at the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ).
“We may have this fourth wave starting a little earlier than early fall,” he said. “We have several factors that can explain why.”
Dr. De Serres explained that the 20-to-29-year-old age group has seen a third of all cases during the past weeks.
“Obviously those who acquire the infection, the majority of them are unvaccinated,” he said.
The epidemiologist supports the government’s plan to bring in a vaccine passport, which will allow Quebecers who’ve received two vaccine doses to access non-essential services.
“To increase the vaccine coverage, the vaccine passport is a good incentive,” he said.
However, not everyone thinks a passport is a good idea, and some entrepreneurs are concerned about finding more staff to check passports or being responsible for enforcement.
“I’m actually concerned that employees will have to pay the role of policemen,” said Charles Milliard, the president and CEO of the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec.
“But we don’t want businesses to close again, so we’ll play the game. We don’t have any choice,” he added.
The Quebec league of rights and freedoms said the government should be making more time for public debate before bringing a passport into effect.
“We had time over the summer to think this through, to put this measure in place and we didn’t do that … and that is a problem,” said Catherine Descoteaux, Ligue des droits et libertés coordinator.
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