Cannabis, Liquor Stores in This Province to Require Proof of Vaccination for Entry

A nurse prepares the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for children for distribution Nov. 24 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by ANDREJ IVANOV/AFP via Getty Images)

The Canadian province of Quebec will require people to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination when entering government-run stores selling cannabis or alcohol, beginning Jan. 18, Health Minister Christian Dubé said Thursday, according to the Washington Post.

The decision comes as COVID-19 cases soar in Quebec on the back of the Omicron variant.

Although Quebec’s vaccination rate is one of the highest in the world, at nearly 80%, the region’s hospitalizations have spiked and are threatening to overwhelm hospitals, officials said, according to the Washington Post.

Dubé hopes this move should persuade more Quebecois to get vaccinated, minimizing hospitalizations.

Quebec already requires proof of vaccination to enter health-care facilities, indoor sports venues, movie theaters, bars and nightclubs.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., The Independent Restaurant Coalition recently wrote an open letter to Congress pleading for assistance, claiming that over 86% of independent restaurants and bars that haven’t received monetary assistance from the government are at risk of closing permanently if they don’t receive relief.

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