Ontario not likely to wind down vaccine passport system in January if Omicron persists: health minister
Ontario's deputy premier says the province's vaccine passport system may not start to wind down next month as planned if the Omicron coronavirus variant proves itself a greater danger to the public than Delta.
Responding to an NDP query in Question Period on Monday, Health Minister and Deputy Premier Christine Elliott told legislators the system that restricts many indoor public activities to the fully vaccinated may not start shutting down next month as planned.
“We’re planning to start lifting things but if this Omicron variant circulates widely and if it’s as virulent as it has been in other jurisdictions, we are going to need to take a look at that,” she said.
“We anticipate that we will need it for at least the next several months ... and maybe for longer than that, once we know more about the Omicron variant.”
Under the current emergency framework developed by the Ford government prior to the discovery of the Omicron variant, the vaccine passport system could be removed from restaurants bars and fitness centres as early as Jan. 17, 2022.
The vaccine passport system and indoor mask mandate would completely expire by the end of March, 2022.
Elliott said Monday there was always the understanding that the vaccine passport system could stay beyond the planned timeframe due to conditions in the province.
“(It was) always subject to the caveat that if there was a situation such as a variant we don’t know about, and we don’t know what’s going to happen, we would have to re-evaluate.”
NDP leader Andrea Horwath urged the government to “show strong leadership” and stop “pandering to anti-vaxxers” with what she called a premature planned removal of the vaccine passport system.
“Doug Ford’s end date for vaccination certificates always was a dog whistle to anti-vaxers. Mr. Ford’s message is: it’s ok to wait it out instead of getting a vaccine,” she said in a statement issued after Question Period.
The Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant first detected in South Africa has now spread to dozens of countries around the globe.
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.