Quebec businesses gearing up to vaccinate employees, their families starting next month
Health minister says more companies will be added to list in coming weeks
In a historic first, some Quebec businesses will soon be administering vaccines.
Thirteen companies located in eight regions will set up vaccination centres, the province's Health Ministry announced on Thursday.
The companies should begin administering doses next month.
Last month, Health Minister Christian Dubé said the province wanted to sign up 20 to 50 companies who would be able to inoculate 500,000 Quebecers.
Dubé said more than 450 businesses signed up to take part in the project and more vaccination centres will be added to the list in the coming weeks.
The province has a self-imposed deadline to provide at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to every Quebecer who wants one by June 24.
The businesses will mainly vaccinate people who work for them and their partners along with their family members, but the campaign will also include the employees of nearby companies and their families.
In a statement, the Health Ministry said the general population would also have access to doses.
One vaccination centre will be a partnership between Aéroports de Montréal, Bombardier and Air Canada.
"So, along with Bombardier of Canada, which are the two companies that employ the most people in the airport, we decided to join forces," said Anne-Sophie Hamel, a spokesperson for Aéroports de Montréal.
"We know that everybody has to do their part, and that's something that we could do because we have the infrastructure. … And, unfortunately, right now our space is not very used."
You can consult the full list of businesses here.
The ministry says each company will need to vaccinate between 15,000 and 25,000 people from May to August.
WATCH | Montrealers explain why they lined up to get the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine:
With files from La Presse Canadienne and Kate McKenna