1st-Dose Appointments Increased 300% After Quebec's SAQ & SQDC Vaxx Passport Announcement

Appointments to get the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in Quebec are spiking, according to a tweet from Health Minister Christian Dubé, following the announcement that the province's liquor and cannabis stores will start requiring vaccination passports.

"In just a few days, the appointments for the 1st dose went from 1.5K per day to over 6K yesterday," Dubé tweeted on Friday. "Thank you to everyone who decided to get vaccinated. It is not too late to receive your 1st dose. Protect yourself."

Dubé did not explicitly note the connection between the increase in appointments and the impending vaccine passport requirement at the Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ) and Société québécoise du cannabis (SQDC). However, the quadruple increase he pointed out would have occurred on the same day as the announcement.

Upon making the announcement, Dubé had said, "I hope this will be an additional incentive for some to go get their first dose."

Meanwhile, the SAQ and SQDC unions are seeking added security in case of "aggressive behaviour" and crowds once the vaccine passport comes into effect at their stores.

On January 7, Quebec reported 16,176 new cases of COVID-19, which officials have warned is an undercount. There were officially over 2,000 people in hospital due to the virus — the highest number of hospitalizations since the start of the pandemic.

Eighty-four percent of the population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to government data.

Quebec also moved up the dates for third-dose appointment sign-up, which means all Quebecers aged 18 and older should be able to book an appointment by January 17.

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.