THUNDER BAY - With proof of COVID-19 vaccination now required across Ontario to access non-essential businesses, the medical officer of health said there will be some challenges with implementation, but the health unit will continue to assist both businesses and the public in adjusting to the new measures.
“I do anticipate there will be some implementation challenges and understanding how to do things efficiently and applying it to a lot of different contexts,” said Dr. Janet DeMille, medical officer of health with the Thunder Bay District Health Unit. “I do anticipate some implementation issues but we will work through them.”
Vaccine certificates or passports came into effect on Wednesday and there have been some issues, including people accessing proof of vaccination from the Ministry of Health website, which was down for some.
There are other methods of obtaining proof of vaccination, including a phone number set up by the Ministry of Health to request a mailed copy of the vaccine receipt.
Prior to the start of the vaccine certificates being required in other parts of the country, anti-vaccination and anti-lockdown protestors held demonstrations, including protests outside of hospitals.
DeMille said she is not aware of any businesses in Thunder Bay who are refusing to enforce the new regulations, but she is reminding all businesses who fall under the order that it is the law to require proof of vaccination.
“We continue to work with the people to educate and support them in applying it to their particular workplace,” she said. “As we move forward and if we hear of places that may not be doing it or not doing it properly, we will be in touch with them.”
“We always take an approach with progressive enforcement and start off with education and support and that usually covers all of the issues. There are businesses that have some challenges that make it hard to implement some of the regulations, but we work with them to get the questions answered and work with them. That applies to any of the measures in the regulations.”
If a situation escalates involving someone refusing to comply with the order, the police could become involved.
“The Thunder Bay Police Service will respond to any criminal matter such as a disturbance, assault, or threat stemming from any dispute over the restrictions that take effect on September 22, 2021,” said a spokesperson with the Thunder Bay Police. “The compliance of a business with provincial orders is primarily a matter for the Thunder Bay District Health Unit to address. The TBPS will assist the Health Unit as required.”
DeMille agrees that requiring proof of vaccine is an extraordinary measure but said these are extraordinary times and these kinds of measures will help keep everyone safe and allow businesses to remain open.
“We know unfortunately with this pandemic, especially what we are anticipating over the coming months and winter season, that we will see a rise in case numbers and the spread of the delta variant, which will be driven by those who are unvaccinated unfortunately,” she said. “So limiting that particular risk in various settings will be an important part in limiting the risk in the community.”
There are also concerns that several events held in the city recently included large gatherings of many people not wearing masks, including the recent Wake the Giant music festival and the Dirt Track Nationals at the Dairy Queen International Speedway.
DeMille said the health unit follows up with organizers of events to collect information and determine what the next steps are based on any issues that arise.
“We did a lot of work with the organizers of Wake the Giant and they put a lot of measures in place,” she said. “Whether there was an issue with the masking, I think we will find out with the investigation. I did feel really comfortable last week with the measures they were planning to put in place.”
“I just want to remind everybody that everyone has a role and a responsibility in implementing these public health measures that are needed to manage COVID in our area. I appreciate that many businesses or organizers or whoever do their best to make sure an environment is safe and doing what they can.”
