Newmarket-Aurora MPP, Ontario Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Christine Elliott writes a regular column for NewmarketToday about provincial initiatives and issues impacting our community.
As we approach the fall, I want to say thank you to our community for supporting each other and our local businesses this summer. Over the last few months, I have had the opportunity to meet with several local residents and businesses, and consistently I’ve heard how thankful everyone is to have our community supporting them.
One of the highlights this summer was speaking with the children who participated in Sport Aurora’s All Sport One Day event last month. Their excitement, energy and willingness to try new sports made for a very fun day. Thank you, Sport Aurora, for coordinating such a wonderful event for our community.
As you likely know, to further protect Ontarians as the province continues to confront the delta-driven fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, will require people to be fully vaccinated and provide proof of their vaccination status to access certain businesses and settings starting Sept. 22, 2021.
Requiring proof of vaccination in these settings reduces risk and is an important step to encourage every last eligible Ontarian to get their shot, which is critical to protecting the province’s hospital capacity, while also supporting businesses with the tools they need to keep customers safe, stay open and minimize disruptions.
As of Sept. 22, 2021, Ontarians will need to be fully vaccinated and provide their proof of vaccination along with photo ID to access certain public settings and facilities. This approach focuses on higher-risk indoor public settings where face coverings cannot always be worn and includes:
- Restaurants and bars (excluding outdoor patios, as well as delivery and takeout);
- Nightclubs (including outdoor areas of the establishment);
- 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 with the exception of youth recreational sport;
- Sporting events;
- Casinos, bingo halls and gaming establishments;
- Concerts, music festivals, theatres and cinemas;
- Strip clubs, bathhouses and sex clubs; and
- Racing venues (e.g., horse racing).
Ontarians currently have access to a paper or PDF vaccine receipt that includes all relevant information to prove that they are fully vaccinated. As of Sept. 22, Ontarians will be required to show their vaccine receipt when entering designated settings along with another piece of photo identification, such as a driver’s licence or health card.
Ontario will also introduce an enhanced digital vaccine receipt that features a QR code, which is safe, more secure and with you wherever you go. This digital vaccine receipt can be kept on a phone and easily used to show that you've been vaccinated if you need to. In addition, the province will launch a new app to make it easier and more convenient for businesses and organizations to read and verify that a digital vaccine receipt is valid, while protecting your privacy.
We know vaccines provide the best protection against COVID-19 and the delta variant. To protect the health and well-being of Ontarians, this is one more tool our government is offering to encourage even more Ontarians to receive the vaccine and provide further protection to fully vaccinated Ontarians as they safely enjoy activities with their loved ones and support their local businesses.
If you have not already done so, I encourage you to book your first or second dose appointment now. Together we can stop the spread of COVID-19.
Should you have any questions or require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact my office at 905-853-9889 or by emailing [email protected].
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