The owners of big box stores are preparing for the entry into force of the mandatory vaccination passport in their establishments.
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From Monday, proof of vaccination will be required of all customers who want to enter a business with an area of more than 1,500 m2.
Thus, only adequately inoculated people will be able to enter Costco, Walmart and Canadian Tire stores, in particular.
This measure leads to additional costs for merchants who must hire new employees and new equipment to comply with the standards.
“Merchants have bought cell phones for their employees, others have asked, with compensation, to put them on their own personal cell phone. He currently has several models on the market, but it mainly required taking an employee who was on the floor and that is the biggest operational element to ensure that there is an employee who is available to scan at the door. “explains the director general of the Quebec Retail Trade Council, Jean-Guy Côté.
If this new measure is not unanimous in the population, it is a safe bet that it divides even more in the region, while the figures reveal that 43% of people hospitalized in intensive care are in Montreal hospitals.
The vaccine passport has also been in effect in SAQs and SQDCs since January 18.
Quebec businesses open their doors on Sunday after three weeks of mandatory closure to allow employees to rest.
For the first time in 2022, customers can do their grocery shopping or buy a few winter items that are missing to go play outside on this Sunday day.
Quebecers also seemed to take advantage of this additional opening day on the weekend to go do some shopping, since the parking lots in front of these businesses were very full on Sunday morning.