By Canadian Press

Ontario to require proof of vaccination in high-risk settings starting Sept. 22

Sep 1, 2021 | 12:38 PM

TORONTO – Ontario residents will soon need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter some public settings considered high-risk, including restaurants, theatres, gyms and other venues.

The province has unveiled its widely anticipated vaccine certificate policy, which will go into effect on Sept. 22 and won’t apply to essential services like health-care settings and grocery stores.

Under the new rules, individuals are considered fully vaccinated if 14 days have passed since they received the second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

There will be exceptions for those with limited medical exemptions and children under 12 who can’t be vaccinated.

The move marks a significant reversal for Ford, who had publicly spoken against a vaccine passport, saying it would create a “split society.”

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But he says he changed his mind now that the province is facing a fourth wave of infections, calling the certificates necessary to protect the vulnerable and avoid another lockdown.

Ford says “this is something that I did not want to do” but says it’s a temporary tool that we won’t use for a day longer than we have to.

Locations requiring proof of vaccination will include those that involve close contact, crowds and where people don’t wear masks.

Dr. Kieran Moore, the province’s top public health doctor, says more settings might be added to the list as COVID-19 trends develop.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 1, 2021

The Canadian Press