Quebec Is No Longer Planning To Impose A Tax On Unvaccinated People In The Province

The premier said the health contribution has divided Quebecers at a time when they should be united.

Senior Writer

It has been revealed that the previously announced plan for Quebec to tax unvaccinated people in the province won't be going ahead after all.

During a press conference on February 1 when Quebec Premier François Legault announced that some businesses will reopen this month, he also noted that his government is no longer going to table a bill to impose a health contribution fine on the unvaccinated.

"I'm also worried about the division we see in Quebec. My role is to try and bring Quebecers together to stay united as a people," Legault said.

The premier explained that this is the reason why the province isn't moving forward with the proposed health contribution.

"I started discussions with different people last week about the health contribution, about the possibility of not tabling the bill," Legault revealed.

He also mentioned that "it's about time" for people in the province to come together and that he doesn't like to see Quebecers divided as they have been recently.

"I understand that this divides Quebecers and right now we need to build bridges, to listen to each other. Quebecers must remain united," Legault said.

On January 11, Legault announced that unvaccinated Quebecers who are over the age of 18 would face a fine if they didn't get their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in the coming weeks.

"All adults in Quebec who refuse to go get at least a first dose during the upcoming weeks will have a bill to pay because there are consequences on our health network," he said at the time.

The premier also noted back then that the tax would be a "significant amount" but didn't specify what it would be exactly.

Health Canada has a robust website with all the latest information on COVID-19 vaccines and can answer any questions you may have.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.

  • Senior Writer

    Lisa Belmonte (she/her) is a Senior Writer with Narcity Media. After graduating with a Bachelor of Journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University), she joined the Narcity team. Lisa covers news and notices from across the country from a Canada-wide perspective. Her early coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic earned Narcity its first-ever national journalism award nomination.

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