Vaccine certificates now required to

Vaccine certificates now required to access nonessential settings in Ontario

Certain businesses will ask you to show a proof-ofvaccination document along with government-issued I.D.

THE ONTARION

After months of pressure from scientists and medical officers, the Ontario government has officially begun requiring vaccine certificates for several indoor public settings.

Ontario residents now need to provide proof of full vaccination and government-issued identification with their full name and date of birth to access restaurants and bars, nightclubs, meeting and event spaces, gyms, concerts and music festivals, cinemas and theatres, sporting events and racing venues, casinos and gaming establishments, strip clubs, and bathhouses.

To get their proof of vaccination, residents must first ensure they have received two doses of a Health Canada approved vaccine (Pfizer-BioNtech, Moderna, AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD or Janssen/Johnson & Johnson). Two weeks after their second dose they must visit the government of Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccination webpage and follow the steps to download their vaccination certificate. They will require their OHIP card to do so.

The certificate may be printed or stored on a phone to show businesses.

On Oct. 22 the provincial government plans to update the certificate system to a “QR codebased application for residents and business operators to use in order for scans,” according to Global News. Documents containing a unique QR code will be issued and will display the person’s name and vaccination status.

Children under the age of 12 will not be required to provide documentation as they are not currently eligible for the vaccine. Those with a doctor-approved medical exemption (i.e. a doctor’s note on official letterhead) will also be exempt.

Some venues have exceptions to when a certificate is required. For example, people may enter the indoor area of a restaurant or bar without a certificate only to get takeout, to pay, or to use a washroom. Those who are attend-

The provincial government plans to update its vaccine passport system in late October to include scannable QR codes. CREDIT: UNSPLASH

ing a wedding ceremony or funeral service may also do so without a certificate.

However, this exception doesn’t apply to receptions or social gatherings before or after the service. Up until Oct. 13, a non-vaccinated person may attend these functions only if they produce a negative COVID-19 test administered within the previous 48 hours.

As of Sept. 29, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health reports that the City of Guelph has reached a 92.1 per cent first dose vaccination rate and an 87.8 per cent second dose rate among its eligible population.