Mayor Tory says proof-of-vaccination credentials integral to avoid 4th wave
Posted August 12, 2021 2:15 pm.
Last Updated August 12, 2021 4:20 pm.
Mayor John Tory joined the chorus calling for a provincewide vaccine passport system, saying the move is necessary to keep businesses open and avoid a fourth wave of COVID-19.
Tory made the comments on Thursday arguing that a proof-of-vaccination practice is “the best thing we can do right now.”
“I hope the government of Ontario will work with the federal government to ensure we have a proof-of-vaccination system here in our province to help businesses and institutions, even our major sports teams, navigate reopening as case counts creep up,” Tory said.
The mayor’s call-to-action comes one day after Canada’s ministers confirmed they are currently working on a proof-of-vaccination digital system for international travel.
Travellers will be able to submit their proof of vaccination in ArriveCAN (mobile app or Canada.ca/ArriveCAN) when coming back to Canada. While the focus is on digital proof of immunization, the federal government says it will ensure the records are accessible for all Canadians.
The document, or “passport,” will include the holder’s vaccination history, including the type of vaccines they received, the date and precise location.
Québec’s government recently announced its intention to make vaccine passports mandatory. However, Ontario Premier Doug Ford has maintained a firm stance, repeatedly insisting that his government will do no such thing.
Ford has said in the past that mandating a proof-of-vaccination system would create a “split society” and that he doesn’t believe in drawing a hard line.
Ontario has faced growing calls to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for non-essential activities and healthcare workers as infections rise. Still, the government is urging people to focus less on daily case counts and more on hospitalizations.
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Health Minister Christine Elliott held the line Tuesday on her government’s staunch opposition to mandatory vaccinations for healthcare workers and requiring a vaccine certification system for places such as bars and gyms, as seen in some other jurisdictions.
“There’s a mixture of views on that particular subject, and we are not mandating vaccines for anyone, although we strongly encourage people to take the vaccine.”
Elliott says a vaccine receipt is enough for Ontarians to prove they have a shot.
Business groups such as the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, the Toronto Region Board of Trade, and doctors’, nurses’ and pharmacists’ groups have called for a vaccine certificate system as a way to avoid a fourth-wave lockdown.
The City of Toronto, meanwhile, continues to urge youth to initiate COVID-19 vaccination by getting their first dose or complete their vaccination with a second dose.
As of August 9, approximately 78 per cent of youth ages 12 to 17 have initiated vaccination, with approximately 62 per cent now having received both doses.
On Thursday, Toronto Public Health said they’re working with healthcare partners and local school boards to offer Youth Mobile Vaccine Clinics in neighbourhoods where vaccine uptake has been low to date.
“We are working to make sure every resident eligible has access to the COVID-19 vaccine. Throughout the summer, Toronto Public Health and our Team Toronto partners have been working to make sure families with children 12 and older can get their first and second doses,” said Tory.
“There is still time for young people to get vaccinated before the new school year starts – this will help protect them, their family, their classmates and their entire school community – so please visit a vaccination clinic as soon as possible.”
Upcoming youth COVID-19 vaccination clinics
- Friday, August 13 from noon to 6 p.m.: Weston Collegiate Institute, 100 Pine Street
- Saturday, August 14 from noon to 3 p.m.: Albion Heights Junior Middle School, 45 Lynmont Road
- Sunday, August 15 from noon to 3 p.m.: Lawrence Heights Community Centre, 5 Replin Road
- Monday, August 16 from noon to 6 p.m.: Albion Centre Mall, 1530 Albion Road
The province reported 513 new infections on Thursday, with more than 80 per cent of them in unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people.
Half of the total new cases are in people aged 20 to 39. It’s the highest case total since mid-June and is based on 22,896 tests done on the previous day.
No new deaths were reported, and Health Minister Elliott says 113 people are in intensive care units due to COVID-19. Two of them are fully vaccinated, five are partially vaccinated, 44 are unvaccinated, and 62 have unknown vaccine status.
