Quebec will begin vaccinating the general public against COVID-19 starting next week, the province’s premier announced Tuesday.
François Legault said anyone 85 years or older will be able to register and obtain their first dose as the government expands its inoculation campaign.
“Vaccines are our best hope to beat this battle,” he told reporters in Montreal.
The rollout, which was launched in December 2020, initially focused on giving a first dose to the elderly who lived in long-term care homes and seniors’ residences, which were hard hit by the health crisis. The government also prioritized health-care workers on the front lines of the pandemic as well as people who live in remote regions.
Legault says the mass vaccination of the elderly who live at home will begin in the Greater Montreal area because of the high number of novel coronavirus infections.
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Anyone born before 1936 will be able to make an appointment for their first dose starting this Thursday by phone or online. However, Legault asked people to be patient when registering.
“Hope is there,” Legault said. “We are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.”
— With files from The Canadian Press
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