O'Toole, who encourages vaccinations but opposes vaccine mandates, called Quebec's proposal unfair, predicting that it won't persuade those who are hesitant to get a shot to finally roll up their sleeves.
Quebec's announcement that it would tax unvaccinated residents sparked strong reaction and pushed Canadian premiers to take a position on it, but the province's official Opposition says it's unconvinced the government will go ahead with its threat.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Wednesday, January 12, 2022, he needs more information before he can say whether he supports Quebec’s anti-vaccination tax, as Ottawa struggled to make good on its promise to deliver COVID-19 rapid tests.
Only days before Canadian truck drivers were required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 to get into the country or face quarantine, the federal government is backing away from the vaccine mandate.
Advocates working with Black and Indigenous communities say a proposal to make unvaccinated adults pay a financial penalty risks further entrenching inequities in Canada's pandemic response, and adding another burden to those who are marginalized.
The association says the tax plan is deeply troubling, noting the Charter of Rights and Freedoms recognizes individual autonomy over our bodies and medical decisions.
Quebec's director of public health, Dr. Horacio Arruda, tendered his resignation on Monday, January 10, 2022, citing an erosion in public trust as the province grapples with record hospitalizations during a fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Quebec Premier François Legault has announced the reimposition of a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew that begins tonight, New Year's Eve, and will remain in effect indefinitely.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged Canadians to be cautious over the holidays as the country's two largest provinces started taking steps to slow surging cases of the COVID-19 Omicron variant.
The federal government on Wednesday, December 15, 2021, advised Canadians against non-essential international travel in an effort to protect against the Omicron variant, while Ontario and Quebec announced thousands of new COVID-19 infections.