In Ontario, the pandemic has had a punishing, stupid, enraging rhythm. The COVID-19 bathtub starts to fill up; the government doesn’t understand what’s happening, then doesn’t worry about it, and as the bathtub nearly overflows there is a lurch for the spigot. Sometimes, it takes more than one try. But something may feel different now. Alberta and Saskatchewan are…
Category: Community News
Anti-vaxxers don’t have a right to accommodations, Ontario human rights watchdog says
People who choose not to get the COVID-19 vaccine due to personal preferences or “singular beliefs” do not have a right to accommodations under Ontario’s human rights law, the province’s rights watchdog says The decision to get vaccinated is voluntary, and a “person who chooses not to be vaccinated based on personal preference does not have the…
‘I chose not to get the vaccine’: B.C. mom battling COVID speaks from her ICU bed
A B.C. mother of two is sharing her experience battling COVID-19 after she decided not to get vaccinated in the hope that others will choose otherwise. Sharlene Amerl, from Sooke on Vancouver Island, had leukemia when she was six years old and was worried about how she would react to the ingredients in the COVID vaccines. She…
Almost anyone can fake an Ontario vaccine certificate — and concerns about bogus documents are mounting
With a month still to go before Ontario launches its vaccination verification app, concerns are being raised about how easy it is to modify the province’s existing vaccination certificates — potentially letting unvaccinated people gain access to restaurants, bars, gyms and even flights. According to forensic document examiner Shabnam Preet Kaur, the existing vaccination certificates,…
Ontario vaccine passport: How to access your COVID-19 immunization receipt and where it’s required
Ontario implemented its vaccine passport system for indoor settings on Sept. 22. Also known as a vaccine receipt, this proof-of-vaccination document will be the key to using non-essential services such as getting into restaurants, bars, sporting events and other social gatherings. By Oct. 22, the province will also provide people with individual QR codes and…
COVID has killed about as many Americans as the 1918-19 flu
COVID-19 has now killed about as many Americans as the 1918-19 Spanish flu pandemic did — approximately 675,000. The U.S. population a century ago was just one-third of what it is today, meaning the flu cut a much bigger, more lethal swath through the country. But the COVID-19 crisis is by any measure a colossal…
Hotels and resorts across Canada are offering a wide range of festive packages to fully vaccinated guests
What a difference a year (of vaccination) makes. During the 2020 holidays, most Canadian hotels and resorts were either closed or operating at a loss owing to pandemic restrictions and advisories against travel. Fast-forward 12 tumultuous months and many lodgings are home to refreshingly merry Christmas and New Year’s Eve packages, such as the nine…
Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccine certificate system goes into effect today at bars, restaurants, cinemas, gyms
Enforcement of Ontario’s vaccine certificate program, which begins today, will be mostly complaint based and will begin with educating businesses and customers about the new rules, the city’s head of emergency management said Wednesday. Starting today, Ontario residents will need to prove that they have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter many non-essential businesses,…
When will younger kids be eligible for COVID vaccines in Canada?
Health units and school boards across the Greater Toronto Area have no public plans about what the COVID-19 vaccine rollout to children five and up could look like, despite news from Pfizer on Monday suggesting the approval of its jab for this age group may be coming soon. With the province scaling down mass immunization sites in favour of…
COVID-19 vaccines for children under 12? With new information emerging, there’s no time to wait
Pfizer recently released a press statement that their COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective for children aged 5 to 11. Now that data is available, and will be submitted to regulators shortly, we must do everything in our capacity to quickly approve and vaccinate our children. As experts and science communicators, we’ve been watching the Delta variant…