Jorge Maria
Pontiac Sept. 1, 2021
Quebec’s new vaccine passport system goes online today after a few hiccups in its initial rollout.
Several weeks ago, citizens of Quebec that have been double-vaccinated should have received a QR code via email or text message.
Some initial media reports from outside the province suggested that the supplementary app was also required for proof of vaccination, but the QR code is all Quebecers need to access non-essential services under the system.
An official app is also available for use by businesses in order to scan QR codes and verify a customer’s vaccination status.
The initial rollout of the vaccination passport system faced a rocky start after it was initially only available for Apple devices. However, more than 50 per cent population uses Android devices. After many complaints by the public, the Quebec government finally released the app for Android phones on Tuesday.
Earlier in the week, a hacker was able to replicate the QR codes of Premier François Legault and Health Minister Christian Dubé, a relatively simple process since the QR codes only contain the name, vaccination status and the location of vaccination of the owner.
Several provinces, including Ontario, look to implement their own vaccine passport systems in the weeks ahead. Last week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced $1 billion in funding for provinces starting their own passport systems.
