As shots of the novel coronavirus vaccine continue to roll out across Canada and other parts of the world, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his government has no plans to implement vaccine passports — proof that a person has been vaccinated against the virus — on a federal level for Canadians.
According to Trudeau, standardizing such a measure could have “real divisive impacts” for Canada and its communities.
“I think it’s an interesting idea but I think it is also fraught with challenges — we are certainly encouraging and motivating people to get vaccinated as quickly as possible but we always know there are people who won’t get vaccinated and not necessarily through a personal or political choice,” Trudeau said during an interview at the Reuters Next Conference.
“There are medical reasons, there are a broad range of reasons why someone might not get vaccinated and I’m worried about creating knock-on, undesirable effects in our community.”
The prime minister also added that enough Canadians being eager to get vaccinated would “get us to a good place” without having to take more severe measures like implementing such a passport.
3:03 Coronavirus: Concerns raised in Ontario about concept of ‘immunity passport’
Coronavirus: Concerns raised in Ontario about concept of ‘immunity passport’ – Dec 9, 2020
The idea of a vaccine or immunization passport is one that’s already been touted widely by businesses and countries across the world, with Microsoft, Salesforce and Oracle among several big names to announce work on a project to verify whether or not a person has had their shot.
Israel, which has been among the fastest to vaccinate its citizens against the virus, also recently unveiled a similar “green passport” which would allow vaccinated persons to eat in restaurants, attend public events and travel freely.
Denmark announced last week that it was working on developing a digital “vaccine passport” for those who have received their shot, while a proposal for a vaccine pass allowing free travel across the European Union was pushed by the Greek prime minister Thursday.
Though plans to implement the measure on a federal level were shut down by Trudeau, several provinces have not yet ruled out the possibility of issuing such a pass, with Ontario’s health minister announcing a plan to issue certificates that could allow vaccinated Canadians in the province to travel, work and be in close contact spaces.
But implementing the passport could pose several challenges on both a logistical and ethical level, according to several experts.
Alison Thompson, a professor with the University of Toronto’s Joint Centre for Bioethics said that giving someone a piece of paper saying that they’ve been immunized is “a lot different from making it a prerequisite for attending a concert or riding the transport system.”
4:29 The Travel Lady: Vaccination passports
The Travel Lady: Vaccination passports – Dec 1, 2020
“A card or certificate is not going to be a great way of determining someone’s immune status,” she said in a previous interview with Global News. “It would provide a false sense of security.”
Creating such a pass would also create “two tiers of people,” according to Kerry Bowman, a professor of bioethics and global health at the University of Toronto.
“When you get different people doing different things, it creates questions of justice,” said Bowman in a previous interview with Global News.
As of Jan. 7, Canada has distributed 548,950 doses of Pfizer and Moderna coronavirus vaccines across the country’s provinces and territories, according to federal data.
To date, at least 687,387 people have also been diagnosed with the virus, while at least 17,500 people have died.
— With files from Reuters and from Global News’ Rachael D’Amore.
Seven & i Holdings Co. Ltd. said the proposal by the Canadian convenience store operator “grossly undervalues” the company.
In a letter to Couche-Tard, Seven & i called its offer of US$14.86 per share in cash “opportunistically timed” and said the proposal was not in the best interest of its shareholders and other stakeholders.
“We are open to engaging in sincere discussions should you put forth a proposal that fully recognizes our stand-alone intrinsic value and addresses our concerns regarding certainty of closing in the current regulatory environment,” wrote Stephen Dacus, chair of the special committee formed to review the offer.
“However, we do not believe, for several critical reasons, that the proposal you have put forward provides a basis for us to engage in substantive discussions regarding a potential transaction.”
The Japanese company said the Couche-Tard bid did not adequately acknowledge the multiple and significant challenges such a transaction would face from U.S. competition regulators.
In addition to global convenience store chain 7-Eleven, Seven & i owns supermarkets, food producers, household goods retailers and financial services companies.
On Thursday, before Seven & i published its rejection, Couche-Tard said it was confident in its ability to finance and complete the proposed deal.
Analysts have cast doubt on whether the two companies can reach a deal because they believe satisfying Japanese regulators will be onerous and could force Couche-Tard to let go of some of its assets.
Couche-Tard has operations across 31 countries and more than 16,800 stores. If it manages to wrangle Seven & i, that deal would add 85,800 stores to its empire.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2024.
Description: Top-Selling Cruise Savings Guide on CB. Unlimited market – every cruise passenger will save money with these insider secrets. CHECK OUT OUR NEW AFFILIATE BANNERS! 70% commission, low refund rate.
All orders are protected by SSL encryption – the highest industry standard for online security from trusted vendors.
Ex-Cruise Ship Officer Reveals Insider Secrets of the Cruise Industry is backed with a 60 Day No Questions Asked Money Back Guarantee. If within the first 60 days of receipt you are not satisfied with Wake Up Lean™, you can request a refund by sending an email to the address given inside the product and we will immediately refund your entire purchase price, with no questions asked.
Make sure your sound is turned on. Please wait up to 10 seconds for the video to load
Please click on the video below for it to start playing…
Make sure you watch this video right to the end, as the end will surprise you!
Skip to Text Presentation
You’ll be redirected to Clickbank.com to complete the secure checkout process
Your order is backed by my 60-Day, No-Questions-Asked, 100% Satisfaction Guarantee
If you are not 100% satisfied with your purchase, simply contact support@totalmoneymagnetism.com within 60 days for a full refund.
“Total Money Magnetism is jam-packed with rock solid advice that any success-driven person needs to get their hands on. The 5 fundamentals of money magnetism (part 2) lay an invaluable foundation to financial freedom, and the 10 secret success principles of the ultra wealthy (part 3) are proven rules all successful people live by.
If you want to be wealthy, I highly recommend you read this book.”
“Revolutionary! Steve has put together centuries of Performance Development, Wealth Attraction and Success Principles in ONE easy, simplified process.
No matter if you have no education, are broke, stuck in a job you don’t like, or just plain frustrated – Steve will take you through the fundamentals step by step. No longer will you resist being a Success!”
“I’m always talking to my clients about reframing how they think so that they can take action and get what they want. Total Money Magnetism not only tells you HOW to reframe but it actually teaches you how to train your brain so that it automatically does it for you.
This program was a quick read, very practical and I easily applied what I learned to make major changes in the way I conduct business and view money. I highly suggest getting this program!”
“As a Hypnotic Influence Specialist, I’ve read most of the books on hypnosis that have been written, and I’m really pleased to say that Steve G. Jones’ Total Money Magnetism is a practical guide to instill the thoughts, then the beliefs and finally the acceptance of your ability to think and act like a millionaire.”
