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July 16, 2021 – Provincial and federal government updates on the COVID-19 pandemic
Here is an update on recent decisions and actions by the Québec and Canadian governments in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Loto-COVID announced
Québec’s Minister of Health and Social, Christian Dubé, along with the Minister of Finance, Economy and Innovation, Éric Girard, and the head of the province’s vaccination campaign, Daniel Paré, today announced details of Québec’s vaccination lottery, dubbed Gagner à être vacciné (“Being vaccinated: It’s a win”).
“It’s a contest not only to reward those who are already vaccinated, but also those who will get vaccinated,” Minister Dubé said.
There will be four prize draws, on August 6, 13, 20 and 27. Each prize is in the amount of $150,000 for adults having received at least their first dose. For young people aged from 12 to 18 years less a day, there will be two $10,000 bursaries awarded with each draw.
Adults who have received both vaccine shots will be eligible to win a grand prize of $1 million to be drawn on September 3. For fully vaccinated young people, there will be 16 bursaries worth $20,000 to be won. To be eligible for the prize draws, entrants must have received their first dose before July 31 and their second before August 31.
To enter, people must register at quebec.ca/ConcoursVaccination starting July 25. To be valid, registrations must be made no later than 11:59 p.m. the day before a prize draw. Once entered, contestants are eligible for all remaining prize draws. For entries by young people, a parent or guardian must be the person completing the registration.
“The vaccine lottery contest is an initiative that will help drive up the vaccination rate in Québec in all age categories, while at the same time encouraging younger people to make up for the delay in first doses, by giving vaccinated people a chance to win attractive prizes,” the Health Minister said.
The proportion of Québecers having received at least one vaccine dose is now 82%, with 48% having received two doses.
Canada will welcome foreign tourists starting in September
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said today that if vaccine rates and public health conditions allow, Canada could welcome fully vaccinated travellers from all countries by early September.
On the subject of travel from the United States, the Prime Minister said that fully vaccinated American citizens an permanent residents may be authorized to visit Canada for non-essential travel starting in mid–August.
Approximately 80% of eligible Canadians have now received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and more than 50% have received two doses.