When asked about the possibility of requiring vaccine passports within the province this July, Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford said: “The answer is no, we’re not going to do it.” By the end of August, he had changed his tune completely.
The new vaccine passport (referred to by the province as the “enhanced COVID-19 vaccine certificate” system) comes into effect September 22. The system will require people to be fully vaccinated (and provide proof of that vaccination) to access some non-essential services, such as restaurants, concerts, and gyms. Other services, like churches, barbershops, and banks, will remain accessible without vaccination or use of a vaccine passport.
By late October, a QR system will be used for proof of vaccinations. Until that system is developed, people can continue to use PDF documentation of vaccination from the province as proof.
While many are thrilled by Ford’s decision, others are less than pleased. Some feel that getting the vaccine should be left to personal choice, and believe that the vaccine passport is discriminatory. Mike Kench, a Gananoque town councillor who organized an anti-vaccine passport protest this week, said that he felt the passport was discriminatory because it assumed that people who chose not to receive the vaccine, like himself, would not take precautions. Other critics have claimed that vaccine passports violate people’s constitutional rights.
In the recent past, Premier Ford agreed with this sentiment, calling the choice to be vaccinated a constitutional right, while Ontario’s Solicitor General, Sylvia Jones, stated that a vaccine passport would be unnecessary, given that the majority of Ontarians are already fully vaccinated.
Ford says that his drastic change in opinion on a vaccine passport was brought about by conversations with experts and a desire to prevent the economy from being shut down again.
However, others have suggested that Ford may have had other motives that led to his complete turnaround; liberal leader Justin Trudeau stated that he believes Ford only implemented the vaccine passport because of the federal government’s commitment to provide provinces with a billion-dollar fund for vaccine passport programs. Ford blamed the federal government for not implementing a federal vaccine passport system.
For any incoming students looking to get vaccinated this fall, Ontario strives to make the process as easy and painless as possible. To book a vaccination appointment, visit https://covid-19.ontario.ca/book-vaccine/ and provide your postal code and other basic information. Even without an Ontario health card, you can easily book a vaccine appointment through a pharmacy or your local health unit. In Toronto, you can visit a city-run clinic to get a vaccination—you just need some form of government-issued ID (including non-Canadian and expired documents), such as a driver’s licence or passport; a piece of mail with your name on it; a pay stub; or your University of Toronto student ID. International students concerned about vaccinations can contact the Centre for International Experience for help.
