The latest on vaccine passports and hospital protests
Ontario’s vaccine passport system is due to come into effect on 22 September 2021. Under this system, Ontarians will need to prove that they are fully vaccinated (and have received their second dose at least fourteen days prior) in order to access certain public venues. The goal of the vaccine passport system is to limit COVID-19 transmission in settings where people are at a higher risk of becoming infected. These include indoor public settings where face coverings cannot always be worn, like restaurants (excluding outdoor patios), clubs, gyms, movie theatres, and concert venues.
There are key exceptions to the vaccine passport policy. People who are unable to receive a COVID-19 vaccine for medical reasons will be allowed entry upon receiving a doctor’s note. This will continue until allowances for documented medical exemptions become more integrated into the vaccine passport system. Children younger than twelve, who are unable to receive a vaccine, will be exempted as well. Unvaccinated people will still be able to access venues like hospitals and grocery stores.
The vaccine passport system was introduced in the midst of increasing infection rates, due to the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Delta variant is more than twice as contagious as previous COVID-19 variants. The Delta variant also causes more severe illness in unvaccinated people who become exposed. The CDC has indicated that infections caused by the Delta variant are more likely to lead to hospitalization. This is especially concerning given the recent return to in-person schooling, as children in elementary school do not qualify to receive the vaccine. As demonstrated by the case of Emily Victoria Viegas, a thirteen-year-old from Brampton who passed away in April from COVID-19, children are susceptible to infection and serious, potentially life-threatening symptoms.
In recent weeks, there have been more “anti-vax” protests in response to policy developments concerning vaccine passports taking place across Canada. Lately, many of these protests have taken place outside of hospitals, attempting to bring attention to the medical freedoms that protestors claim are threatened by the imposition of “vaccine mandates.” These protests have been hugely disruptive, and detrimental to patients and health care workers’ well-being. Many health care workers have reported being harassed by protestors upon entering and exiting hospitals. This has led some hospital administrators to advise nurses and doctors to not wear their scrubs, or any other items that identify them as health care workers, until they are safely in the hospital. There have also been reports of “anti-vax” protestors blocking ambulance routes, potentially putting patients at risk.
Both Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Toronto Mayor John Tory have spoken out against these protests. While Tory acknowledged that everyone has the right to protest government policy, this right could not be used to interrupt “hospital operations and public safety.” Provincial NDP leader Andrea Horwath has also urged Ford to pass legislation that would create “safe zones” around hospitals, preventing protestors from harassing health care workers as they enter. Currently, the Toronto Police have indicated that they will be present at and monitoring any hospital protests, and will lay charges “when necessary.”