The Canadian province of Quebec will charge a health tax to residents who are not vaccinated against COVID-19.

Quebec, which has seen the highest number of COVID-related deaths in Canada, is currently struggling with a surge in cases.

On Jan. 11, the premier of Quebec announced that it would be the first in the nation to financially penalize the unvaccinated.

Only about 12.8 percent of Quebec residents are not vaccinated, but they make up nearly a third of all hospital cases.

According to federal data, just over 85 percent of Quebec residents had received at least one vaccine dose by Jan. 1.

Premier Francois Legault said during a news conference that people who have not received their first dose of vaccine will have to pay a “contribution.” The fee has not yet been decided, but will be “significant,” he said.

“I think right now it’s a question of fairness for the 90 percent of the population who made some sacrifices,” Legault said. “I think we owe them this kind of measure.”

Last week, the province announced that it would require proof of vaccination to shop in government cannabis and liquor stores.

A curfew is also in place, the second one of the pandemic, running from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. each day.

On Jan. 11, Quebec’s death toll from COVID-19 reached 12,028.

The percentage of COVID patients in intensive care who have not been vaccinated is 45 percent, provincial data shows.

Hospitals in Montreal, the province’s largest city, are nearing 100 percent capacity and have already started limiting nonCOVID-related care.

While rare, Quebec is not the only region in the world seeking to impose a financial penalty on those unwilling to get jabbed.

Starting later this month, Greeks aged over 60 are being required to pay a 100-euro (US$114) fine for each month that they remain unvaccinated.

The money will go towards the Greek health system, which is struggling with a surge in hospital admissions.

About 63 percent of Greece’s 11-million population is fully vaccinated, but data show more than 520,000 people over 60 are yet to get the jab. Greece is the first in the EU to target a specific age group.

Singapore has required COVID patients to pay for their own medical bills if they are not vaccinated.

Words to Learn 相关词汇

【激增】 jīzēng surge a sudden large increase in something that has previously been steady, or has only increased or developed slowly

【宵禁】xiāojìn curfew a law stating that people must stay inside their houses after a particular time at night

加拿大魁北克省将对未接种新冠疫苗的居民征收健康税。

加拿大新冠死亡人数最多的魁北克省目前正在与病例激增作斗争。

1月11日，魁北克省省长宣布，魁北克将在加拿大率先对未接种疫苗者采取经济处罚措施。

魁北克只有约12.8%的居民没有接种疫苗，但是在住院病例中，未接种疫苗者却占据了近三分之一。

加拿大联邦政府数据显示，截至1月1日，刚过85%的魁北克居民至少接种了一剂疫苗。

魁北克省省长弗朗索瓦·勒古在新闻发布会上称，还未接种第一剂疫苗的人将必须做出“贡献”。

他说，税金数额还未确定，但是会“相当巨大”。

勒古表示：“我认为对于做出牺牲的90%的人口而言，这是一个公平问题。我们应该采取这类补偿措施。”

上周，魁北克省宣布，到国营的烟酒商店购物必须出示疫苗接种证明。

魁北克省还实施了疫情以来第二次宵禁，时间从晚上10点到凌晨5点。

1月11日，魁北克新冠死亡人数达到了12028人。

魁北克省的数据显示，被重症监护室收治的新冠患者当中，没有接种疫苗的患者占到了45%。

魁北克省最大城市蒙特利尔的医院已接近爆满，并开始限制非新冠患者就医。

尽管这种做法比较罕见，但是魁北克不是全球唯一一个对拒绝接种疫苗者实施经济处罚的地区。

本月晚些时候起，希腊将对不接种疫苗的60岁以上老人每月罚款100欧元（约合人民币725元）。这些罚金将流入因住院人数激增而承受重压的希腊卫生系统。 希腊成为欧盟首个针对特定年龄段人群强制接种疫苗的国家。

新加坡则出台了一项规定，要求未接种疫苗的新冠患者自费支付医疗账单。

(chinadaily.com.cn)