Ontario government asks for patience after COVID-19 vaccine certificate QR code site crashes
Some 215,000 Ontarians successfully downloaded their COVID-19 vaccine certificate QR code Monday morning and they should consider themselves lucky.
The Ministry of Health told CTV News Toronto that a technical issue caused the site to crash for "a few users" hoping to access the new document on launch day.
“We are currently experiencing high volumes of downloads and a few users have experienced a brief technical issue,” a spokesperson for the ministry said in an email.
The enhanced system, which provides scannable documents to allow for faster entry into settings that require proof of vaccination, officially goes into effect on Friday and some users were able to download their codes last week.
Residents born between January and April got first dibs to access the enhanced vaccination certificate through the province's COVID-19 website on Friday, followed by other cohorts that got access over the weekend and provincewide access today.
Of the “few” users affected by the glitch, some said they were greeted with an error message after entering their health card data.
As of Monday, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said that 215,000 residents had downloaded their code today, including the 2.4 million receipts that have been downloaded over all.
It is unclear how many of the remaining 8.4 million fully vaccinated Ontarians were affected by the crash.
In light of the technical issue -- which the MOH originally said had been resolved earlier in the day – the province is asking people to be patient as they look to access the document which will allow them entry into most non-essential settings like gyms, theatres, and restaurant dining rooms.
“It’s exciting that so many Ontarians are eager to download their enhanced vaccine receipt with official QR code,” the province added.
It’s worth noting that residents who are fully vaccinated can continue to use the receipts they were issued when the system first went into effect on Sept. 22. if they can’t access their QR code. Businesses that require proof of vaccination must accept that previous iteration of the vaccine certificate, although it can no longer be accessed through the province’s online portal.
You can download your COVID-19 vaccine certificate QR code here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.