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January 24, 2022 – Provincial government update on the COVID-19 pandemic

The following is an update on recent decisions and actions by the provincial government regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

New strategy to reach the unvaccinated

Lionel Carmant, Minister for Health and Social Services, and Daniel Paré, Director of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Québec, announced a series of actions to reach out to those who have not yet been vaccinated.

“We know that there are several factors that influence the decision to get vaccinated,” Mr. Carmant said. “Several initiatives have been put in place in recent months to reach certain groups, and these efforts have yielded results, but we will be stepping up the targeted actions. The teams on the ground will reach out to these people and make vaccination even more accessible.”

Initially, the strategy will be implemented primarily in the Montréal area, specifically in neighbourhoods with low vaccination coverage.

In addition, medical and nursing students will be able to contribute to this vaccination effort through a partnership with Université de Montréal.

The following is a list of actions implemented as part of the announced strategy:

  • Identification of neighbourhoods requiring intervention by institutions and public health authorities;
  • Opening of a pop-up vaccination site at the CLSC Sainte-Catherine on January 27, 2022;
  • Identification of canvassing activities to be carried out according to the various targeted neighbourhoods;
  • Identification of community organizations called on to contribute to this process;
  • Opening of a university “Je contribue” link with a phone line and an e-mail address specific to this operation so that Université de Montréal students can offer their services and contribute;
  • Opening of a phone line for people who would like to speak to a health professional about the factors contributing to their vaccine hesitancy;
  • Identification of targeted neighbourhoods and territories in other areas of Québec;
  • Participation of other Québec universities, based on the project carried out in Montréal;
  • Several communications activities tailored to the targeted environments (use of the mother tongue of the people in question, through community radio stations and local leaders, etc.).