COVID-19 in Canada: What you need to know about Quebec's vaccine passport

Quebec's Minister of Health and Social Services, Christian Dubé, has revealed more details on the province's COVID-19 vaccine passport, a system that will be deployed in September.

While the provincial government is not announcing a full list of non-essential businesses and services where this vaccine passport system will be used, it will not include retail businesses, but will include gyms, restaurants, bars, festivals and event venues across Quebec.

Dubé stressed that the intention of implementing a COVID-19 vaccine passport system in Quebec is to prevent the closure of businesses as the more contagious Delta variant continues to spread.

"So that we do not have to re-confine and to avoid closing activities or business, the best way is vaccination, but we will also use the vaccination passport," he said at a press conference on Tuesday.

While the system will be based on a QR code that can be scanned by each business, Dubé said there will be a paper option for individuals who don't have a smartphone. While this passport will be mandatory for patrons of these businesses, staff will not be required, by the provincial government, to be fully vaccinated, with the health minister citing labour law issues.

Beginning this week, the province will beginning testing the app, initially at a sports bar in Quebec City this week and a gym in Laval next week.

When asked about people who may try cheat the vaccine passport system, Dubé cautioned that customers at these non-essential businesses or events could be asked for their driver's license or some piece of photo identification to ensure that the vaccine passport truly belongs to them.

More information is expected to be released on the week of Aug. 23.