Quote:
LILLEY: Ford moves ahead with revised vaccine passport plan
Author of the article: Brian Lilley
Publishing date: Sep 01, 2021
The Ford government is pushing ahead with a revised and simplified vaccine passport system after rejecting a first plan put forward by bureaucrats.
The plan was put to cabinet during a late meeting that didn’t begin until 8 p.m. Tuesday. Premier Ford is expected to announce the plan alongside Health Minister Christine Elliott and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Kieran Moore on Wednesday afternoon.
Beginning Sept. 22, proof of vaccination will be needed for restaurants, bars, gyms and other indoor settings where masks cannot be worn for the duration of the visit.
For the first month, proof of vaccination will be the receipt issued when getting vaccinated or downloaded from the government website. Another piece of government identification, such as a driver’s licence, will be required.
The second step will involve the introduction of an app where both the vaccine receipt and government ID details will be uploaded.
People with the app will be able to simply show a screen proving their vaccination status. A government source said officials hope for the app to be ready by mid to late October.
The original plan brought forward by bureaucrats was rejected by Ford without even sharing it with cabinet because it was overly complicated and inconsistent, according to sources. One cabinet minister said they expected the meeting discussing the measures to be, “a marathon, not a sprint” and head late into the evening.
Like Quebec and British Columbia which have already moved ahead with vaccine passports, Ontario will not require proof of vaccination for retail shopping. The passport will also not be required for outdoor dining on patios.
Nightclubs, movie theatres and pools will all fall under the passport system as will indoor concerts, conferences and events. Those pursuing outdoor activities like concerts, festivals and sporting events won’t be required to use the passport system, but that doesn’t mean venues won’t demand it.
The Toronto Blue Jays have already announced that they will require proof of vaccination or a negative test starting on Sept. 13 and Ontario CFL teams in Toronto, Hamilton and Ottawa have said fans will be required to show proof of vaccination.
Ford had previously taken a strong stand against vaccine passports, saying that the move would create a split society.
His government has been under daily pressure for the last two months to bring in the measure with many business and health groups demanding the province act and public opinion showing support for the measure at 75% and above.