As of Wednesday, September 22, all Ontarians — except children under 12 and those with valid medical exemptions — will be required to provide proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 (two doses plus 14 days after their second dose) to gain entry to higher-risk indoor public settings where face masks cannot always be worn.
The Ontario government provided details of a COVID-19 vaccine certificate (commonly called a “vaccine passport”) during a technical media briefing on Wednesday morning (September 1), followed by an announcement by Premier Doug Ford in the afternoon — Ford’s first media conference in more than a month.
“It’s no secret — this is something I did not want to do,” Ford said. “This is a serious step that we’re not taking lightly, and I know this is going to be very difficult for some people. Let me be clear: this is a temporary tool we won’t use for a day longer than we have to.”
“But after talking to (Ontario chief medical officer of health) Dr. Moore, I know that this is what we have to do right now in the face of this fourth wave, because these certificates are necessary to keep our hospitals safe and to avoid another lockdown,” Ford added.
There are two phases to the vaccine certificate, which will be required to gain entry to the following settings:
- Restaurants and bars, except for outdoor patios, delivery, and takeout
- Nightclubs, including outdoor areas of the establishment such as patios
- Meeting and event spaces, such as banquet halls and conference/convention centres
- Facilities used for sports and fitness activities and personal fitness training, such as gyms, fitness and recreational facilities, except for youth recreational sport
- Sporting events
- Casinos, bingo halls and gaming establishments
- Concerts, music festivals, theatres and cinemas
- Strip clubs, bathhouses and sex clubs
- Racing venues (e.g., horse racing)
With the exception of outdoor spaces at nightclubs, the vaccine certificate requirement does not apply to outdoor settings. It also does not apply to grocery stores, pharmacies, medical care settings, personal care settings such as hair salons, retail settings, religious settings such as churches, or polling stations for the federal election.
Government officials also confirmed the vaccine certificate requirement does not apply to employees of the listed businesses and facilities, although they may implement a mandatory vaccination policy using the requirement if they want.
While children under 12 do not require the vaccine certificate to gain entry to the listed settings, parents accompanying children to these settings must provide proof of vaccination.
The first phase of the vaccine certificate, which begins on September 22, will require Ontarians to show a copy of the vaccination receipt they were issued after receiving their second dose of vaccine, along with a piece of government-issued photo ID to gain entry to the above settings.
To obtain a PDF of their vaccination receipt, people can log into into the provincial booking portal at covid19.ontariohealth.ca using their health card, date of birth, and postal code. They can then print a paper copy of the PDF or keep the downloaded PDF on their phone. Ontarians who don’t have internet access can call the provincial vaccine booking line at 1-833-943-3900.
The second phase begins a month later, when the government will issue Ontarians a “digital vaccine certificate”, an enhanced certificate that includes a unique QR code. A new verification app will be launched no later than Friday, October 22 that businesses and facilities can download and use to scan and validate the QR code on the certificate. Along with the certificate with the QR code, people would also need to show a piece of government-issued photo ID.
Government officials said the digital vaccine certificate is intended to be more secure than the existing vaccine receipts (which could be modified and forged), reduce privacy concerns by exposing less personal information, and make it easier for businesses and facilities to validate a person’s vaccination status.
The government will be providing detailed guidance for businesses and facilities, to address situations such as where a person on a restaurant’s outdoor patio (where proof of vaccination is not required) needs to go inside the restaurant to use the washroom. The guidance will also include information on what forms of government-issued ID are acceptable.
People with legitimate medical exemptions to getting vaccinated would be allowed entry to the listed settings by showing a copy of their medical exemption. Eventually, a QR code would be provided on the medical exemption document that could also be scanned by the new verification app.
A negative COVID-19 test or a recent COVID-19 infection does not entitle people to enter the listed settings, except in situations where people are going to a wedding or a funeral held in an event space. In those situations, people can use proof of a negative test to gain entry, but only between September 22 and October 12.
Government officials said the start date of September 22 for the vaccine certificate is intended to give people and businesses enough time to adapt, to download their vaccination receipt, and to get a second dose of vaccine if they were hesitating. The date also coincides with cooler weather, when more people will be heading indoors.
Officials added the vaccine certificate is intended to be a temporary measure to reduce COVID-19 transmission and to encourage more people to get vaccinated, and will be monitored and evaluated.
Penalties, including fines, for not adhering to the vaccine certificate policy will be defined in regulations to the Reopening Ontario Act.
