From September 22nd, Ontario residents will require to go to gyms, cinemas, restaurants, casinos, and many other non-essential businesses.
This is part of the provincial government’s vaccine certificate program. To visit the venues mentioned above, the residents will need to show that they received both doses of an approved COVID-19 vaccine 14 days earlier.
Those who can provide such proof will be allowed to eat in restaurants, use fitness centers, go to nightclubs, cinemas, theatres, strip clubs, and casinos. They can also attend concerts, sporting events, and other large, organized gatherings in indoor settings.
Premier Doug Ford stated on Wednesday:
“We have two options here. We either do this or we risk shutting down the economy, which would even be worse, having our hospital capacity maxed out and at the brink, having our kids stay at home, our college and university kids going back online. That is what we are trying to avoid.”
Retail shopping and outdoor dining will not require a vaccine certificate. Those who are attending workplaces, religious services, and other essential businesses, including grocery stores, pharmacies, and banks are exempt from providing proof of vaccination as well.
Those who are not vaccinated will be allowed to attend funeral or wedding receptions until October 12.
Ontarians can use the paper or PDF vaccine receipt available online to prove that they were vaccinated.
The Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police said officers will not be expected to conduct routine compliance checks of enhanced vaccination receipts.
The police statement said:
“Given the new requirement for proof of vaccination against COVID-19 announced today by the Government of Ontario, police services will continue to work closely with first responders, government, businesses, and community partners to ensure Ontarians are protected from this virus.”
