As of September 22, 2021 - Premier Doug Ford moved forward on the advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Ontario to implement a vaccine passport in order to access certain businesses and settings. It has been shown that requiring proof of vaccination in these settings significantly reduce the risk to Ontarians. The 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;
- Racing venues (e.g., horse racing).
This mandate excludes health care - our practitioners have a duty of care to ensure that our patients are receiving the care that they deserve. Please know that all patients are welcome in our facility regardless of vaccine status - we do ask that if you are bringing a friend or family member with you (not a dependent) that they show proof of vaccination to the admin team.
Along with the new vaccine mandate, you would have noticed that we recently updated our COVID-19 screening survey - please note that this recent update is not our decision but in-fact deceminated from the Ministry of Health. When completing the survey, question 1 is a background question (not required) that allows us to know how to handle a potential case should one be identified. The new guideline for insolation and positive case is based on 14-day period to be considered fully immunized.
Reference:
https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1000779/ontario-to-require-proof-of-vaccination-in-select-settings
