What Travelers Need To Know About The New Ontario Vaccine Passport

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Last Updated 3 years ago

Ontario’s vaccine passport program began this past week. All patrons of indoor activities throughout the province – such as restaurants, bars, cinemas, sports events, casinos and theaters will need to show proof of full vaccination against Covid-19 before entry.

Effective September 22nd, workers will be required to ask patrons for their proof of vaccination and a matching photo identification before entry to a number of venues in Ontario. The province is calling it an “enhanced Covid-19 vaccine certificate” system.

Toronto: The Toronto City Hall, or New City Hall, is the seat of the municipal government of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and one of the city's most distinctive landmarks.

How Ontario's Vaccine Passport Program Will Work

Proof can be shown via a digital or paper copy of the vaccine record. Residents of Ontario can access their records through the Ontario government website using their OHIP card and print a copy from the site or download a PDF version to their smartphone. Accepted vaccines are the ones approved by Health Canada.

Those visiting from outside of the province can show their individual vaccination certificate that they use for travel as proof for entry.

And by October 22nd, the system will move to a fully digital method, where users can download a QR code to then use on an app. This new app is set to be ready in a few weeks, and will be accessible to all participating businesses throughout the province.

Note that the proof of vaccination requirement in Ontario currently does not apply to employees, or people under the age of 12.

Places Where Proof Of Vaccination Will Be Required

The list of services where patrons will be asked for proof of vaccination before entry in Ontario include:

• Restaurants and bars (doesn’t include outdoor patios, delivery/takeout)
• Nightclubs
• Banquet halls and other meeting/event spaces
• Gyms, other sports and fitness facilities (doesn’t include youth recreational sports)
• Sports events
• Concerts and music festivals
• Cinemas and theaters
• Strib clubs
• Casinos and bingo halls
• Racing venues

Activities not included in the program are retail and grocery stores, places of worship, and personal care businesses such as hair salons.

Canada Vaccine Passport

Last month, officials in Canada announced that proof of vaccination will be required for all passengers and workers on federally-regulated train, air and cruise travel throughout the country.

Other Provinces Currently Requiring Proof Of Vaccination

Ontario was the fourth Canadian province to announce a vaccine passport system, following the other provinces of British Columbia, Manitoba and Quebec. At the time of writing, most provinces across Canada do require some sort of proof of vaccination to access non-essential services. You can read more about the travel requirements for provinces and territories throughout Canada here.

As reported by the CBC on Friday, Ontario’s vaccine program is set to remain in place through the fall and winter months. 79.8% of the eligible population have received two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, according to the latest reports.

U.S. Travelers Entering Canada: Latest Updates

Since August 9th, U.S. travelers have been able to visit Canada for non-essential purposes if they’ve been fully vaccinated against Covid. When entering Canada by land or air, travelers coming from the U.S. must show a pre-departure Covid molecular (PCR) negative test result taken no later than 72 hours prior to travel. This test is required, regardless of vaccination status.

At this time, travelers coming from international destinations will be randomly selected upon arrival at the airport to take a Covid molecular test on Day 1 of their arrival in Canada. On arrival and departure testing is available at Canada’s airports, including Toronto Pearson.

Canada reopened to fully vaccinated visitors from other nations on September 7th. A pre-departure test will also be required for travel. You can read all the details in our post here.

While the land border crossing is open from the U.S. to Canada, but non-essential travel continues to be banned from Canada into the U.S. until at least October 21st.

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