COVID-19 in Quebec: What you need to know on Wednesday

• Quebec reported 690new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesdayand twonew deaths.
• Since the start of the pandemic, there have been389,914confirmed casesand11,288people have died.
• There are 138people in hospital (an increase of seven),including 40in intensive care(an increase of four).
• 26,680doses of vaccine were administered for a total of12,366,735doses administered in Quebec.
• 86per cent of the eligible population in the province (age 12 and up) hasreceived one dose of vaccine, and 79 per cent have received two doses.

Vaccination passports have officially come into effect, making Quebec the first province with a system of its kind.

As of today, Quebecers seeking entry into a slew of non-essential public activities will need to either scan their phone using the government'sVaxiCode app or show printed proof that they are adequately vaccinated.

For a breakdown of how the passport applies and where it will be used, click here.

There is a grace period, however, with the new rules expected to be strictly enforced as of Sept. 15.

As of Tuesday, 86 per cent eligible Quebecers have received one dose of the vaccine, while 79 per cent have received two doses.

Businesses adapt to use of passports

Most people who showed up this morning to Caf Vito, a coffee shop in Montreal's Villeray neigbourhood, did not have their proof of vaccination. That wasn't a big deal on the first day.

But Vito Azzue, the shop's owner, said he expects interactions with customers get more difficult in the coming days and weeks, when the passports become mandatory. There were some puzzled looks this morning, he said.

"Oh yeah, I got mixed feelings, mixed faces. Some people are okay with it because they want life to go on, and some people are not very happy with it," Azzue said, regarding the reaction to the new system.

"I'm only wondering what's going to happen tomorrow morning, and the one after that, because people just won't be ready for it."

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