With the steady increase of COVID-19 cases and the rising threat of Omicron, Ontario has implemented changes to proof of vaccination requirements and holiday gathering advisories
T he Ontario government announced on Dec. 10 that it is implementing additional measures to protect against the Omicron variant of COVID-19 as winter approaches.
Omicron was first reported in Canada on Nov. 28 in Ottawa. Since then, cases of this latest variant of concern have been steadily increasing throughout Ontario.
On Dec. 13, the province reported 1,536 new COVID-19 cases, 21 per cent of which are thought to have been caused by the Omicron variant. The City of Guelph reported 127 active cases, with the first case of omicron being confirmed last week.
“We obviously have dealt with [COVID-19] for two years, but [Omicron] is very different,” said Dr. Zain Chagla, an infectious diseases specialist at McMaster University, to CBC.
“We’re going to see something I don’t think we’ve seen before.”
Evidence suggests that the Omicron variant is more likely than previous variants to infect people who have already been exposed to COVID-19, as well as those who have received vaccines.
“Going into the holidays, all of us — health care and otherwise — want some guidance in terms of how to deal with this so that we’re not scrambling and shutting down services when people need them the most,” said Chagla.
In light of these developments, the provincial government has mandated the following changes:
- The removal of proof of vaccination requirements will be delayed beyond Jan. 17, 2022.
- Starting Jan. 4, 2022, enhanced vaccine certification with the QR code and the Verify Ontario app will be required when entering settings that require proof of vaccination.
- A certificate with a QR code will be mandated to reinforce the process for verifying medical exemptions of the vaccine.
- As of Dec. 10, 2021, proof of vaccination for individuals aged 12 to 17 years is required in order to participate in organized sports activities at recreational facilities.
- Ontarians will be advised to limit their social gatherings and the number of events they attend over the holiday season. Precautions should be taken if attendants are unvaccinated.
In anticipation of increased holiday social gatherings, the Ontario government is introducing voluntary rapid antigen screening to asymptomatic individuals at no cost. Pop-up testing sites will be erected in high-traffic environments such as shopping malls, retail hubs, holiday markets, and transit centres.
Furthermore, starting Dec. 13, 2021, people aged 50 years and older can book an appointment for a booster vaccine. This eligibility will expand on Jan. 4, 2022, to individuals over the age of 18. Appointments may be scheduled so that Canadians can receive a booster approximately six months after receiving a second dose.
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