It is a feeling of liberation that has invaded many owners of big box stores. The Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, announced Tuesday that they will be able to stop as of Wednesday to require the health passport.
The latter deplored being victims of insults and violent acts since the entry into force of this measure on January 24. Hardware stores had even reduced their sales area to go below the 1,500 square meter mark and avoid having to ask for proof of vaccination.
“Some stores have lost customers. People have torn up their membership or loyalty cards by linking businesses to government decisions. They are not the ones who decide on the measures, they applied them, but they suffered the repercussions. Some attacked trademarks, it was seen on social networks, “said Michel Rochette, president for Quebec of the Retail Council of Canada.
While the lack of employees is glaring, the staff assigned to the management of the vaccine passport can finally be redeployed to the cash desks or to other tasks.
“We are so happy that the initial error of having imposed the decree in hardware stores has been repaired and that from tomorrow, all citizens, regardless of their vaccination status, can take care of their homes”, said commented to him the president of the Quebec Association of Hardware and Building Materials, Richard Darveau.
Big hardware stores were struggling with moral, financial and logistical problems, he said, while smaller stores saw an increase in their influx of unvaccinated customers, which caused anxiety among some of them. In addition, Mr. Darveau believes that the measure has not had the effect of encouraging more citizens to get vaccinated, since the number of people who have received their first dose has not increased significantly since its announcement. However, there has been an upturn in the number of people getting their second dose.
The Employers Council believes that the decision of the Minister of Health Christian Dubé will be “beneficial for the social climate and businesses”. “On the other hand, it is still the same people who will be penalized longer, such as restaurants, bars, shows, etc. “, communicated by email the president and general manager of the organization, Karl Blackburn.
Disappointed restaurant owners
The Association Restauration Québec was disappointed that its members, all like the bars, have to wait until March 14 to get rid of the vaccine passport, as Minister Dubé also announced on Tuesday. “It would have been easier to swallow if we had at least been allowed to operate at 100% capacity,” said the organization’s vice-president of public affairs, Martin Vézina. Restaurants are limited to 50% traffic until March 14.
As for sports centers, the spokesperson for Quebec for the Canadian Council of the Fitness Industry believes that the progressive schedule will allow customers to adapt to the return to normal and to feel safe during the withdrawal. of the health passport on March 14.
“There are as many people looking forward to the end of the passport as there are people who feel safe because they are surrounded by vaccinated people,” explained Gabriel Hardy.
In fitness centers, the daily management of the health passport is not very heavy, according to Mr. Hardy. The vaccination status of members is recorded in their file, which avoids having to ask them at each visit.