Rush on printing, laminating services in Quebec as vaccine passport looms

There's been an unusual rush on printing shops in Quebec City in recent days.

"Since last week, it's been madness," said Isabelle Lapointe, who works at Centre de la copie lite in the provincial capital's Saint-Foy neighborhood.

That's because not everybody owns a smartphone or knows how to use them,but everybody needs a vaccine passport if they want to access non-essential services like restaurants and gyms starting Wednesday.

Anybody with a smartphonewill be able toopen their VaxiCode app to show off their quick response (QR) code at gyms, bars, diners and zoos.People can also skip the app and just display a PDF version of their code as well.

And then there's a third option a printed version. That one is turning out to be quite popular among Quebec City seniors.

The government says laminating a business-card sized version of the QR code will work just fine.

Lapointe said seniors are showing up with printed copies of their vaccination proof in hand. Employees scan the document, shrink it down and laminate it so the card can fit easily in their wallet next to their identity card, which also has to be shown whenthe vaccine passport is being scanned.

"The problem is that we do just that nowadays," said Lapointe, and now her shop will now only accept these requests on Fridays so staff can continue to meet other orders.

At Plante Multi-Services, also in Quebec City, Jean Ouellet said the shop is getting 50 customers a day looking to get their code laminated.

"When we opened this morning, there were about 10people waiting," he said. "It does not stop."

The service costs about $4, he said.

The provincial government is also offering a printing and mailing service for the passport in a business card format. There's even a special phone number to call to get help.

However, a seniors' advocate said many are struggling to get anybody on the phone that way and the government should be boosting that service as soon as possible.

"There is a flood of calls," said Michel Beaumont, of Fdration de l'ge d'Or du Qubecfor the Quebec City and Chaudire-Appalaches regions.

"It is essential that they put in the necessary resources so that people can answer the phone. We have to make it absolutely accessible."

Even if the vaccination passport will be required in certain public spaces and non-essential businesses onSept.1, an adaptation period is planned until Sept. 15.

That means there won't be any fines for those who break the rules, but that doesn't mean businesses will be letting people enterwithout proof of vaccination, either.