Unvaccinated Citizens In Quebec Will Be Charged A 'Significant' Health Tax

Quebec has announced a new measure to get people to vaccinated.

While the Canadian city boasts a first dose vaccination rate of more than 85 per cent, half of hospital admissions at the moment are people who haven't had the jab.

In an effort to change this statistic, unvaccinated citizens will be hit with a tax because they're considered a burden on the healthcare system.

Quebec Premier Francois Legault hasn't revealed yet how much these residents will be slugged, however he said it would be 'significant', according to the BBC.

"Those who refuse to receive their first dose in the coming weeks will have to pay a new health contribution," he revealed.

Vice News reports Quebec has introduced some of the harshest lockdown rules in North America in order to combat the new wave of Covid-19 infections.

The city brought in a 10pm curfew and banned unvaccinated people from being able to access weed and alcohol shops.

When the weed shop ban came in, vaccination appointments reportedly increased fourfold. Quebec also requires citizens to get three doses of a vaccine to have a full vaccine passport.

However, the Canadian city isn't the first to bring in a health tax for people who haven't received the jab.

From January 16, anyone over the age of 60 in Greece who has not been vaccinated will be hit with a €100 ($159) fine.

The European country was the first on the continent to bring in a vaccine mandate that targeted a specific age category.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said at the start of last month that more than half a million elderly Greeks were yet to get their vaccination, and while the decision was a tough one, it was necessary.

"It's the price to pay for health," he said.

Vaccines are currently mandatory in Indonesia, Micronesia and Turkmenistan, while more than 30 countries have mandatory vaccines for certain workers and to attend venues and events.

"We are focusing our efforts on protection of our fellow citizens and for this reason their vaccination will be mandatory from now on," Mitsotakis told a cabinet meeting.

Syriza, Greece's main opposition party, faulted the measures as being punitive and financially excessive.

It wasn't clear how authorities will be able to enforce the rule, but the average monthly salary in the country is €730 ($1,160) meaning the fine will be significant for most Greeks.

Featured Image Credit: Alamy

Topics: News