Ontario’s recently announced vaccine certificate policy is “good news,” says the medical officer of health for the Northwestern Health Unit, though it doesn’t address those most impacted workplace outbreaks: employees.
At a Thursday press conference, Dr. Kit Young Hoon said the policy, which will require customers to show proof of vaccination along with government ID in some higher-risk indoor settings like restaurants and gyms, is expected to make those environments safer and boost vaccination rates.
“This is helpful in protecting the general population… by encouraging people to get vaccinated,” she said. “It also reduces the likelihood of large groups of unvaccinated individuals coming together in a high-risk setting.”
The settings chosen by province are considered higher risk because people are likely to come within two metres of each other, or are exerting themselves, she said.
Thunder Bay’s medical officer of health, Dr. Janet DeMille, has also welcomed the policy, saying evidence from other jurisdictions shows it will motivate more people to be vaccinated.
The government struck a balance by not applying the policy in essential service settings, like grocery stores or health services, Young Hoon said.
There have been discussions over whether health units could apply the policy in additional settings, if deemed necessary.
“That’s something that’s been discussed internally, but legally it’s not clear at this point whether we have those type of powers,” she said.
The government has given no indication that staff in the settings covered by the vaccine certificate policy will also be required to provide proof of vaccination.
That gap could be consequential: workplace outbreaks in the Northwest have commonly impacted employees, rather than customers, said Young Hoon.
She urged all employers to consider implementing their own vaccination policies for staff, while noting there’s no obligation to do so.
Effective vaccine policies should, “at a bare minimum,” include an education session for those choosing not to be vaccinated, and potentially rapid testing, she said.
“I think there’s a definite usefulness for all workplaces to have a vaccination policy. Workplaces do have an obligation to ensure the safety of their workplace for their employees, so this is one way of doing that.”
Privacy concerns over the policy need to be weighed against the very real health risks of the virus, especially given the more dangerous Delta variant, she added.
“I think with any type of situation like this, you’re trying to balance privacy along with the other needs,” she said. “While there might be a reduction in privacy for individuals, there are benefits for the general population.”
Vaccine receipts can be downloaded online, the health unit advises. The province has said an app-based certificate system will be available by Oct. 22. The rules will take effect Sept. 22.
