Ontario Government Announces Vaccine Passport System For Non-Essential Business Access

Full COVID-19 vaccinations will be required to access non-essential businesses in Ontario starting on Sept. 22 announced by the provincial government in a live stream press conference at Queen’s Park on Wednesday.

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The announcement was made by Ontario Premier Doug Ford along with Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, Kaleed Rasheed, Associate Minister of Digital Government and Dr. Kieran Moore, Chief Medical Officer of Health.

The announcement was made to help non-essential businesses open amid a fourth wave from the Delta variant.

"After in-depth discussions with our medical experts, we've landed on a vaccine certificate policy that is based on evidence and the best advice," said Ford.

The focus is on indoor settings with restrictions especially in places where masks cannot always be worn. Gyms, indoor restaurants, movie theatres and public settings will be under the new vaccine passport system.

The passports are not necessary for retail, banks, places of worship, essential services, salons/barbershops, workplaces or patios and other outdoor spaces.

“At no time will people be denied medical care, food from grocery stores or basic medical supplies based on their vaccination status,“ said Elliott. “We will also maintain access to these settings to those who have a medical exception or children who are not yet eligible to receive the vaccine.

Photo identification must be provided with vaccine receipts. The latter is currently available online to be printed or can be downloaded onto your mobile device, computer or tablet.

On Oct. 22, an enhanced vaccine certification will be available with a unique QR code to provide proof of vaccination conveniently and quickly. Ontario will launch a new app for convenient vaccine verification.

These rules will not apply to children under 12 and anyone with medical exceptions.

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Ontario Government Releases Provincial Reopening Plan With Eased Outdoor Restrictions For Victoria Day Weekend

The Government of Ontario has lifted outdoor activity restrictions for the Victoria Day weekend and a “road map to reopen” in a press conference at Queen’s Park held on Thursday.

Premier Doug Ford, Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Dr. David Williams, Chief Medical Officer of Health were present to discuss the province’s reopening plan.

On Saturday, outdoor recreational amenities can reopen such as golf course and tennis courts to safely celebrate the Victoria Day long weekend said Elliott.

Outdoor gathering limits have been expanded to five people. The government urges the province to continue following health guidelines and get the COVID-19 vaccine.

The road map to reopen is the proposed way out of the pandemic and a clear path forward to carefully and safely reopen in a three-step plan according to Elliott.

• Step one: Initial focus on resuming small-crowd outdoor activities including pools, splash pads, fitness classes, zoos and religious services. Retail stores can be open with restrictions.

  • Outdoor gatherings can be up to 10 people.

  • Outdoor dining up to four people per table.

  • Non-essential retail at 15 per cent capacity.

• Step two: Further expands outdoor activities and continue limited indoor services with face coverings worn.

  • Outdoor gatherings of 25 people

  • Outdoors sports and leagues permitted

  • Non-essential retail open up at 25 per cent capacity

  • Public libraries and personal care services where face coverings can be worn and with capacity limits

• Step three: Expand access to indoor settings with restrictions including large numbers of people and where face coverings cannot always be worn. This includes but not limited to gyms, cinemas, performing arts facilities, indoor dining and museums with capacity limits.

The province plans to be in step one around the week of June 14 and will be in each step for at least 21 days. The three weeks allow time to evaluate the impacts and determine if Ontario can move to the next step.

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Ontario Government Extends Shutdown For Another Two Weeks

The shutdown has been extended for another two weeks until June 2 announced by Ontario Premier Doug Ford in a public address at Queen’s Park announced on Thursday.

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The shutdown is to help combat the overflowing ICU numbers that remain in hospitals and to have “the most normal July and August possible.”

The stay-at-home-order started back on Apr. 3 has been extended by a full month since the original declaration. The shutdown was set to expire on May 20.

Ford was accompanied by Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, Solicitor General Sylvia Jones and Dr. David Williams, Chief Medical Officer of Health.

During the shutdown, daily cases have gone down from 4,000 to 2,750 but the goal is less than 1000 for several days before considering looser restrictions according to Williams.

“Everybody thinks that’s great from where we came from, and that’s true but we still have a ways to get back down because we didn’t get all the way out of the second before we went into the third wave,” explained Williams. “We do not want to repeat that again.”

Starting May 31, youth aged 12 to 17 and their family members who have not received a vaccine will be able to book an appointment for the Pfizer vaccine.

Publicly funded and private elementary and secondary schools will continue remote learning.

Sports and outdoor recreational activities will remain closed. Ford agrees that golfing is not the issue but it is the post-golfing gatherings that are a concern.

“There’s nothing wrong with golfing, the problem is the mobility,” he said. “Then after golf, they go back, they have a few pops. That’s the problem.”

As of Thursday, 6.6 million residents have had vaccinated with at least the first dose with over 407,000 receiving their second dose.

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Ontario Government Announces New Restrictions and Shutdown Extension

Ontario Premier Doug Ford and his cabinet have placed tighter restrictions including a two-week shutdown extension to combat the third wave of COVID-19 announced on Friday.

The decision came after COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and intensive care unit occupancies are at their highest according to Christine Elliott, deputy premier and minister of health.

The stay-at-home order now totalling six weeks will come with tighter restrictions and are effective April 17, at 12:01 a.m.

Limiting mobility, enforcing the rules and getting vaccines are the three ways the curve will be flattened according to Ford.

Doug Ford announced the stay-at-home shutdown at April 1 which originally scheduled for four weeks. Screenshot.

The following restrictions are as follows:

• Outdoor gatherings are limited to your household only, those who live alone can meet with one other household

• Provincial border restriction checkpoints are placed on Manitoba and Quebec with the exception of work, medical care or transportations

• International and air travel are restricted

• All non-essential workplaces and construction will be closed

• All outdoor recreational activities such as golf courses, soccer fields, basketball courts and playgrounds are closed

• Essential retailers permitted for in-store shopping are capped at a 25 per cent capacity

• Religious services, weddings and funerals have a 10-person limit indoors or outdoors

• Drive-in services are permitted

Police and by-law officers will enforce public health measures during the shutdown. Police can ask for your place of residence and why you are not there. You can receive a ticket of $750 for not complying as it is breaking the law according to Sylvia Jones, solicitor general.

Vaccine supplies will increase for hotspots by 25 per cent according to Ford.

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Ontario Premier Doug Ford Announced Four-Week Province-Wide "Emergency Brake"

Ontario will go into at least a four-week, province-wide shutdown on Saturday as Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced an “emergency brake” to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 variants.

The announcement was made Thursday afternoon in a live stream at Queen’s Park in Toronto.

“This is a new pandemic,” said Ford. “We’re now fighting a new enemy. The new variants are far more dangerous than before. They spread faster and they do more harm than the virus we were fighting last year.”

The shutdown will take effect on Saturday, Apr. 3 at 12:01 a.m.

According to the Government of Ontario, they are urging Ontario to take these safety measures:

You should:

• Stay home as much as possible

• Limit close contact to your household (the people you live with) and stay at least two metres apart from everyone else

• Limit trips outside your home to necessities, such as:

  • Getting food or medication

  • Going to medical appointments

  • Supporting vulnerable community members

  • Child care

  • Getting exercise or walking pets

Always:

• Stay home if you have symptoms, even if they are mild

• Stay two metres apart from people you don’t live with

• Wear a mask or face covering in indoor public spaces or any time physical distancing is not possible

Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health outlines the restrictions of the “emergency brake.”

• Prohibiting indoor organized public events and social gatherings but outdoor gatherings are limited to a five-person maximum

  • Gatherings with the same household members or one-household gatherings can meet with one other solo household member

• A 50 per cent capacity limit for, grocers, convenience stores, indoor farmers' markets, pharmacies and other stores that primarily sell food

  • A 25 per cent limit for all other retailers including big box stores

• No personal care services.

• No indoor or outdoor dining however take out, delivery and drive-thru options are permitted

• No indoor or outdoor sports, sports facilities and recreational fitness, with very limited exceptions

• Day camps are not permitted

• Limiting capacity at funerals, weddings and religious services to 15 per cent occupancy per room indoors and to those who can social distance two metres outdoors. Social gatherings affiliated with these services such as receptions, which are not permitted indoors and are limited to five people outdoors are not included.

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