By Staff
September 20th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Ontario is still dealing with the fourth wave of Covid19 infections that are driven by the highly transmissible Delta variant.
The provincial government continues to encourage every eligible person to get vaccinated to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
The government released the regulations and guidance for businesses and organizations to support them in implementing proof of vaccination requirements, which take effect on September 22, 2021.
All Ontarians can print or download their vaccination receipt from the provincial booking portal. Ontario is developing an enhanced vaccine certificate with a unique QR code to make it safer, more secure and convenient to show that you have been vaccinated when required to do so. The enhanced vaccine certificate and verification app will be available by October 22, 2021. Ontario’s proof of vaccination guidance will be updated to reflect the new processes.
The proof of vaccination policy has resulted in a marked increase in vaccination rates. Between September 1 and September 8, 2021, the seven-day average for first doses administered increased by more than 29 per cent, from over 11,400 doses to over 14,700 doses. During that time, more than 90,000 first doses and 102,000 second doses were administered in Ontario to individuals aged 18 to 59.
A Provincial Vaccine Confidence Line will allow individuals to call and speak with an experienced agent or health specialist about COVID-19 vaccine questions.
The province is still in Step Three of the Roadmap to Reopen which was declared on July 16.
COVID-19 vaccines are currently available at over 3,150 locations across the province, including more than 2,500 pharmacies and more than 1,000 currently operational mass immunization clinics, hospitals, primary care settings and pop up and mobile clinics.
• A key component of Ontario’s last mile strategy is getting vaccines to people, wherever they are located. If you need your first or second shot, keep an eye out for the GO-VAXX mobile clinics.
• Anyone with symptoms or who is a known close contact of someone with COVID-19, and other groups that meet provincial testing eligibility criteria, should make an appointment at an assessment centre, participating pharmacy or specimen collection centre. Please visit Ontario.ca/covidtest to find a testing location and for eligibility criteria to be tested.
Leader of the Provincial Opposition Andrea Horwath expressed her views on the proof of vaccination program saying:
Leader of the Opposition at Queen’s Park Andrea Horwath.
“Ford’s certificate program is late, and the list of exemptions is long and makes no sense. We didn’t see a single improvement to those problems today.
“All non-essential businesses and activities should require a vaccine certificate. With his “retail purchase” and host of other exemptions and loopholes, Doug Ford is not putting public health first — emboldening the anti-vax crowd.
“Ford should be reaching out to people having challenges getting a vaccine, and getting tough with anti-vaxxers. We need a solid vaccine certificate program, and Safety Zones to stop anti-vax protestors from interfering at businesses, hospitals and clinics.
“The 85 per cent of us who are fully vaccinated, and the few people who have legitimate medical exemptions, deserve to be safe and confident — whether we’re in the stands at a game, shopping, worshipping, or enjoying a night out. People who did the right thing deserve to have fun and be safe.”
When the province undertook to create a computer application citizens could use to register for vaccinations it turned out to be less than accessible. Many of the Public Health offices in each Region created their own – those worked very well.
