Trudeau says too early to comment on Quebec’s plan to make unvaccinated pay penalty

Published January 12, 2022 at 12:33 pm

MONTREAL — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he needs to see more details before taking a stance on Quebec’s plan to levy a financial penalty against people who are not vaccinated against COVID-19.

Trudeau told reporters today in Ottawa he wants to see how the Quebec proposal balances people’s rights with the state’s goal of protecting them from the disease.

Quebec Premier François Legault said Tuesday he planned to make the unvaccinated pay a “significant” financial penalty.

Legault said people who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 occupy a disproportionate number of hospital beds and should be required to pay an additional contribution to the health-care system.

Trudeau says Quebec has reassured the federal government its plan won’t violate the principles of the Canada Health Act, which regulates the country’s provincially run universal health-care systems.

Earlier today, Quebec reported 52 more deaths linked to the pandemic and a rise of 135 COVID-19-related hospitalizations. The Health Department said 2,877 people were in hospital with the disease, including 263 in intensive care.