Palais des Congres offering walk-ins for vaccines and a 'surprise guest' to lure young people

Quebec opens vaccines to people 25 and older Quebec is now allowing people 25 and older to book an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine.

Montreal — Montrealers who are looking to get a COVID-19 vaccine but don’t want to wait for an appointment might be in luck if they head downtown on Thursday.

The regional health authority, CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Ile-de-Montreal, announced it will start doing daily walk-ins for COVID-19 vaccinations at the Palais des Congres beginning Thursday and it is hoping it will lure more young people who are now eligible with a "surprise guest."

The CIUSSS told CTV News the mystery guest is a musician, but declined to offer any further details. The guest will be at the mass vaccination centre between 9 and 10 a.m. to "greet young and old alike," according to a news release.

The CIUSSS said it is setting aside a few hundred doses every day for walk-ins and will be offering Pfizer and Moderna shots as part of the operation.

Some people on Twitter are chiming in with their best guesses -- or wishes -- as to who the special guest might be.

Although walk-ins will be available, the regional health authority said appointments through the online portal, Clic Sante, are still preferred.

On Tuesday, the province lowered the age limit for vaccine eligibility to 25 and over. On Friday, all Quebecers 18 and older will officially be able to book an appointment, although history has shown that the age limits are lowered one day earlier than scheduled.