Ontario keeping vaccine passports through winter, top doctor says
Ontario's top doctor says proof-of-vaccine certificates will be in place through the winter with modelling showing the potential for a "significant rise" in COVID-19 cases after the holidays.
Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore made the comment on Friday while announcing an easing of capacity restrictions for some outdoor and indoor settings.
"I do think they are going to be with us for the fall and winter at a minimum," Moore said. "I have seen modelling where we have a significant rise in January and February after the Christmas holidays. That is disconcerting."
Moore said he hopes Ontario can reach a 90 per cent rate of vaccination as quickly as possible, which is target the government says is needed to significantly slow transmission.
"I think once we get that high a rate, and there will be others that have natural immunity, that will definitely slow the virus down,” Moore said. "As we see the virus slowing downing and not able to impact our health sector … I think we’ll slowly pull back on all public health measures over time. But we'll do it stepped manner."
Ontario's vaccine certificate program came into effect on Wednesday. It requires proof of vaccination for many non-essential settings.
Premier Doug Ford said the vaccine certificate program is the province’s best chance at avoiding further lockdowns.
"We need to do everything in our power to avoid future lockdowns and closures. That is why we are bringing in these exceptional measures on a temporary basis and will end them as soon as they can be responsibly removed."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.