Vaccine passports lifted as of March 1
With the province lifting most pandemic related health restrictions by March 1, Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit medical officer of health Dr. Charles Gardner warns there is a still a high degree of transmission in the community, and a high degree of risk.
The province has announced Ontario will lift proof of vaccination requirements for all settings as of March 1.
Gardner said the province is heading in the right direction with a downward trend in cases but people need to be aware and decide for themselves what risks they want to take.
In his opinion, the lifting of restrictions is happening a little early, earlier than planned. He said local cases are also trending downward, but ICU occupancy remains high.
“At this point it looks favourable,” said Gardner. “I note that the pandemic has been ever unpredictable and that we’ve had five waves so far here in Ontario and that COVID-19 has proven its ability to generate new variants that are more infectious than previous variants so that possibility certainly persists.”
Gardner said the trajectory will have to be monitored, but modelling has identified the possibility of a second spike of the omicron variant, or a prolonged recovery period.
Effective Feb. 17, restrictions are being lifted to increase social gathering limits to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors; organized public event limits to 50 people indoors, with no limit outdoors; remove capacity limits in restaurants, bars, gyms, and cinemas; and increase capacity limits for indoor weddings, funerals and religious services to the number of people who can maintain two metres physical distance. (Capacity limits are removed if the location opts-in to use proof of vaccination.)
Effective March 1, Ontario intends to take additional steps to ease public health measures if public health and health system indicators continue to improve. This includes lifting capacity limits in all remaining indoor public settings.
Businesses and other settings may choose to continue to require proof of vaccination. Masking requirements will remain in place at this time, with a specific timeline to lift this measure to be communicated at a later date.
