A number of bar and restaurant associations are calling on the Quebec government to open their establishments to those who have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Two groups of licensed establishments in Quebec are asking Premier François Legault to immediately allow the reopening of bars and restaurants throughout Quebec.
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In a letter sent to the premier on Thursday, the Corporation of the Owners of Bars, Brasseries and Taverns of Quebec (CPBBTQ) and the Union of Tenanciers of Bars of Quebec (UTBQ) say that such a measure would bring a little oxygen to the establishments which, they say, are in dire need.
The leaders of the two groups, Renaud Poulin and Peter Sergakis, argue that a reopening under such conditions would encourage those Quebecers reluctant to receive the vaccine to reconsider.
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The signatories recognize that such a reopening will still be accompanied by health measures, but they assure that the leaders of the establishments are already committed to respecting them.
In addition, Poulin and Sergakis still criticize the Legault government for having put in place an assistance plan consisting of a system of loans to bars and restaurants hit hard by closures during the pandemic.
In their opinion, this plan only increases their current and future financial difficulties. They are demanding that “real lasting subsidies” be made available to entrepreneurs.
© 2021 The Canadian Press
