BREAKING-Ontario Announces Vaccine Passport System

Premier Doug Ford has announced a vaccine passport system for the province of Ontario.

The Ontario government has announced a vaccine passport system for the province today. 

Premier Doug Ford was joined by his Health Minister Christine Elliot and Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Keiran Moore to make the announcement.

As of September 22, 2021, Ontarians will need to be fully vaccinated (two doses plus 14 days) and provide their proof of vaccination along with photo ID to access certain public settings and facilities.

The list includes restaurants, gyms, nightclubs (including outdoor areas of the establishment), meeting and event spaces, (such as banquet halls and conference/convention centres), casinos, bingo halls and gaming establishments, concerts, music festivals, theatres and cinemas, strip clubs, bathhouses and sex clubs and racing venues like horse racing.

Individuals who cannot receive the vaccine due to medical exemptions will be permitted entry with a doctor’s note until recognized medical exemptions can be integrated as part of a digital vaccine certificate. Children who are 11 years of age and younger and unable to be vaccinated will also be exempted from these requirements.

For the period between September 22 and October 12, 2021, it is intended that people attending wedding or funeral receptions at meeting or event spaces will be able to provide a negative rapid antigen COVID-19 test from no more than 48 hours before the event as an alternative to proof of vaccination. These rapid antigen tests would have to be privately purchased.

Ontario will also introduce an enhanced digital vaccine receipt that features a QR code, which is safe, more secure and with you wherever you go.

This digital vaccine receipt can be kept on a phone and easily used to show that you've been vaccinated if you need to. In addition, the province will launch a new app to make it easier and more convenient for businesses and organizations to read and verify that a digital vaccine receipt is valid, while protecting your privacy.

As the 2021-22 school year begins, it is critical to keep Ontario schools safe and students learning in-person.

The province will work with trusted public health units to use the existing COVaxON system to safely and securely confirm the vaccination status of students. The province is committed to keeping parents informed about how their child’s COVID-19 vaccine information and enrollment data is being used to keep schools safe.

This will equip local public health units with the information they need to ensure rapid case and contact management if required to limit disruptions in the event of cases or outbreaks and keep kids in class.