Vaccene Pasport in Québec
Over the past few days many people have asked me where the Green Party of Quebec stands on a vaccine passport that would restrict certain areas such as bars, restraints and gyms to vaccinated individuals only. Today I am announcing the Green Party of Quebec’s support for this sanatary measure.
The science, doctors and public health officials have been very clear; our hospitals could easily be over run by unvaccinated people who are sick with COVID in the coming months if vaccination numbers do not increase. A fourth wave would mean that surgery and many other procedures would have to be cancelled as they were in the first, second and third waves. There is a very human cost to these procedure delays and tens of thousands of Quebeckers are suffering. Some are struggling to live their lives, some are in pain and many are anxious and stressed by not having healthcare services when they need them. Medical staff were already overworked and under paid before the pandemic and the situation has only gotten worse.
While some individuals have raised legitimate concerns about civil liberties, others have propagated some completely outlandish conspiracy theories. It is entirely reasonable to limit certain freedoms of unvaccinated people in order to protect our medical system, to save the lives of vulnerable people and to ensure we can exit this pandemic as quickly as possible. It is also entirely reasonable to close restaurants, gyms and other non essential businesses to unvaccinated people rather than shutting them down for everyone when so many of us have been fully vaccinated. If you don’t want to be vaccinated, avoid non essential spaces to protect both yourself and others. It’s a completly reasonable reques.
The Green Party of Quebec is a party that cares about science. We care about human and planetary health, protecting the most venerable and caring for one another. We understand the scientific need for a vaccine passport the same way that we understand the scientific need to fight global warming. We will therefore support the roll out of the vaccine passport by the provincial government.
To those who are hesitant to get vaccinated, I encourage you to look at the results of the vaccination campaign. Side effects are extremely rare and are generally mild. 84% of eligible people in Quebec have already received a first dose. The most common side effects are feeling a bit off for a few hours or having a sore arm. The consequences of catching the virus and spreading it to other people are often deadly. People who survive the virus often do so with long term concequences to their health. The US has recognised long hall covid as a disability. In some cases, the virus can be spread to hundreds of people from a single person. The statistics are overwhelming. The vaccine is proven and we need to take action. We need to all do our part to protect community health. We need to act in solidarity to protect venerable members of our communities. Under these circumstances a vaccine passport is entirely justified.
People who care about their health should get vaccinated for their own wellbeing. People who do not care about their own health should get vaccinated to protect the community. People who are so opposed to getting vaccinated that they refuse to do it should be ready to continue social distancing, working from home and operating the same way we all did during the first wave when no one was vaccinated. Everyone must do their part.
For all of these reasons the Green Party of Quebec supports the vaccine passport.
Alex Tyrrell
Leader of the Green Party of Quebec
