Quebec's health minister says the province's health-care workers will have to have both doses of COVID-19 vaccine by mid-October or risk being suspended.

Christian Dubé says he remains firm on his goal of ensuring the 20,000 workers in the network who are not yet fully vaccinated get their shots.

Asked today about the target, Dubé says it's still possible to vaccinate 20,000 health workers — which includes 10,000 who are in direct contact with patients — by the deadline.

But he has asked regional health officials to prepare a contingency plan in the event vaccination targets aren't met, adding that some workers could be assigned to perform administrative tasks from home.

Quebec is reporting 782 new COVID-19 cases and two more deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus.

The Health Department reported six more people in hospital for a total of 256, with 87 of those requiring intensive care, a rise of two patients. 

According to the province's public health institute, 88.6 per cent of Quebecers aged 12 and up have received one dose of vaccine, with 83.7 per cent considered adequately vaccinated. The province administered 18,886 COVID-19 vaccines on Wednesday.

Dubé also says the government wants to attract at least 4,000 nurses to work in the public network through various financial incentives, which have yet to be announced.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2021.

The Canadian Press