User:Oceanflynn/sandbox/COVID-19 vaccination mandates in Canada

See also the main article COVID-19 vaccination mandates in Canada

COVID-19 vaccination mandates in Canada refer to temporary public health COVID-19 vaccination mandates put in place in high risk settings where COVID-19 vaccinations are readily accessible to adults during the weeks and months when the numbers are high, then removed when the numbers decline to a moderate-low risk. In Canada, at the national and provincial level, public health officials provided regular briefings on key data that informs decisions related to public health COVID-19 restrictions. These factors include

The decision to implement and lift vaccine mandates is the responsibility of provinces and territories, and municipalities. Individual private and public entities have the right to impose and lift mandates on their establishments as a condition for employment and/or client use. There is no federal mandate for COVID-19 vaccines in Canada. By mid-August, 2021 two federal ministries announced vaccine mandates for federal public servants and for federally-regulated transport industries.

As Canada was emerging from the fourth wave in mid-August, in order to "support the re-opening of societies and economies" while also reducing the "risk of spread and importation of COVID-19", Canada was in dialogue with other member nations of the Group of Seven, with the World Health Organization and the International Civil Aviation Organization to discuss "proof of vaccination for international travel". These "reliable and secure" "proof of vaccination credentials" were often referred to as vaccine passports.

During this same period, at the domestic level an emerging "patchwork" system of vaccine mandates began to be introduced across Canada. As early as April 2021, nationwide a number of public and private entities began to mandate vaccinations.

With healthcare capacity spread "too thin" during the "rising fifth wave driven by the Omicron variant" in early January 2022, federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos's suggested that provinces implement mandatory COVID-19 vaccines.

Overview

Since the summer of 2021, in certain locations where COVID-19 vaccinations are readily accessible to adults, temporary COVID-19 vaccination mandates are put in place in high risk settings during the weeks and months when the numbers are high, then removed when the numbers decline to a moderate-low risk. Vaccine passports, often in the form of a digital passport with a QR, were created to facilitate access to private and public facilities where a vaccine mandate is in place and to provide evidence of vaccination status while travelling across provincial and/or internationally borders. In Alberta, where the province passed a law to prevent the implementation of a vaccine mandate, the Restrictions Exemption Program (REP) serves a similar purpose.

COVID-19 vaccination mandates in Canada

Vaccine mandates under federal jurisdiction

On August 13, 2021, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs Dominic LeBlanc and Transport Minister Omar Alghabra announced that the federal government plans to mandate the vaccination of all federal public servants, employees in federally-regulated transport industries, and passengers of commercial air travel, interprovincial rail service, and large marine vessels with overnight accommodations (e.g. cruise ships). The government will also "expect" the vaccination of all employees in industries regulated by the Canada Labour Code. At the time of the announcement, the Government of Canada estimated that there are approximately 19,000 employers and 1,235,000 employees (8% of all workers in Canada) subject to the vaccine mandate.

In October 2021, new United States Department of Homeland Security regulations were released regarding cross-border travel between the Canada and the United States based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To prevent supply chain disruptions, the DHS allowed for a window of four months—until January 22, 2022—for Canadian truckers to get fully vaccinated against COVID-19. On November 19, 2021, the Public Health Agency of Canada announced upcoming adjustments to Canada's border measures. Included in the announced adjustments was the requirement for essential service providers, including truck drivers, to be fully vaccinated after January 15, 2022. The announcement clarified that unvaccinated or partially vaccinated foreign national truck drivers would be prohibited from entering Canada after that date. According to the Canadian Press and CBC, as of January 22, the mandates would impact an estimated 26,000 unvaccinated truckers of the 160,000 truck drivers in both the United States and Canada who regularly cross the border. When asked in the House of Commons to produce data linking truckers to COVID-19 infections in Canada, neither the minister of health Jean-Yves Duclos nor the chief public health officer Theresa Tam were able to do so.

Since October 29, proof of vaccination has been mandatory for employees of federal public services and federally regulated industries including banking. By early January, in these public sectors, those "without proof, or an exemption on medical or religious grounds, has been put on unpaid leave". Since the end of October, Canadians who wish to travel domestically on cruise ships or by VIA Rail trains have been required to prove they are fully vaccinated or have a negative COVID-19 tests. A January 27, 2022 CTV News explainer provided an update on current "vaccine mandates and public health restrictions" across Canada as background for the convoy. These mandates and restrictions "fall under provincial and territorial jurisdiction" and most are "not federal responsibilities."

Vaccine mandates and passports under the jurisdiction of provinces and territories

A October 21, 2021 federal briefing said that the provinces and territories—who hold all of the vaccination information—are responsible for providing the vaccine passport that Canadians needed to travel internationally, using "existing provincial proof of vaccination systems". By 2022, all provinces and territories had "vaccine passports with the QR code that meets the recommended Canadian standard for domestic and international travel". There is no federal mandate for COVID-19 vaccines in Canada. With healthcare capacity spread "too thin" during the "rising fifth wave driven by the Omicron variant" in early January 2022, federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos's suggestion of mandatory COVID-19 vaccines was rejected by Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, whose government had removed the "power of mandatory vaccination from the provinces Public Health Act, to ensure there could not be a vaccine mandate.

Vaccine passport status in Canada:

  No plans for a vaccine passport

  Partial vaccine passport

  Vaccine passport or plans for a vaccine passport

An example proof of vaccination adhering to Canadian federal standards.

See also: COVID-19 vaccination in Canada

The implementation of digital proof of vaccination in Canada has largely been conducted at the provincial and territorial level, with the federal government specifying a standard document and QR code designed to be suitable for international travel.

As of November 2021, all 10 provinces in Canada, and two of the three territories, had implemented or announced plans to implement a provincially-regulated vaccine passport.

Federal requirements and mandates

Beginning October 30, 2021 proof of vaccination became required for all passengers aged 12 and older boarding domestic and/or international commercial airplanes departing from most Canada-based airports, and those riding on federally regulated trains.

Travellers by land (via the United States border) are required to be fully vaccinated to enter Canada and must provide a negative test 72-hours before land crossing. An exception was made for essential workers, until January 15, 2022 when essential workers (mainly truckers) were required to be fully vaccinated to re-enter the country. In late-January 2022, a convoy to and demonstration in the federal capital of Ottawa—supported primarily by far-right activists and groups—was held to protest this change.

Alberta

With the re-establishment of a state of emergency in September 2021, a proof of vaccination mandate for eligible businesses and events known as Restrictions Exemption Program was introduced. It is described by the government as an opt-in system allowing them to operate with fewer restrictions. If a facility does not participate, or is prohibited from participating, they are required to comply with all public health orders, which restricts maximum capacity to one-third, and prohibits the operation of dine-in restaurants.

Later that month, the city of Calgary passed a municipal bylaw requiring all eligible industries to participate in Restrictions Exemption Program.

Manitoba

Manitoba was the first province to introduce a passport system in Canada on 17 July 2021. The passport requirement was removed for movie theatres, museums and galleries on 7 August 2021, only to be reinstated on 3 September 2021, upon Manitoba expanding its passport system. The province utilized physical Immunization Cards which faced supply shortages in production.

Quebec

Quebec was the second province to implement a vaccine passport system on 1 September 2021, using QR codes.

Northwest Territories

The Northwest Territories will implement an opt-in vaccine passport system on 22 October 2021 using original vaccination receipts.

Other provinces

• British Columbia has created a Proof of vaccination system which utilises a QR code. The system initially relied on paper receipts of the BC vaccine receipt and gradually migrated to a digital system. The QR code can also be physically printed out.
• New Brunswick requires a Proof of Vaccination system using original immunisation records.
• Newfoundland and Labrador has plans to release a QR code based system for their vaccine passport.
• Nova Scotia has a Proof of Full Vaccination Policy using original government issued proof of vaccination.
• Ontario introduced a vaccine passport system on 22 September 2021. The system initially relied on original vaccine paper receipts, but gradually began switching over to verifiable QR codes along with the introduction of the "Verify Ontario" mobile app on 22 October 2021. As of January 4, 2022, only vaccine receipts with verifiable QR codes and the "Verify Ontario" mobile app will be accepted at venues where proof of vaccine is required.
• Prince Edward Island uses the PEI Vax Pass Program using original government issued vaccination information.
• Saskatchewan has a Proof of vaccination mandate effective October 2021, using either the government-issued vaccination receipts, or a digital or printed health record with QR code.
• Yukon territory will implement a passport system on 30 November 2021 to access non-essential indoor facilities.

Sources

• Amato, Sean (January 7, 2022). "Alberta premier outright refuses federal suggestion of mandatory COVID-19 vaccines". CTV News. Edmonton. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
• Anderson, Drew (September 15, 2021). "A reality check on Alberta's path to the devastating 4th wave of COVID". CBC News. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
• "Everything you need to know about COVID-19 in Alberta on Monday, Sept. 20". CBC News. September 16, 2021. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
• "Canadian private long-term care providers announce COVID-19 vaccine mandate for staff". CBC News. The Canadian Press. August 26, 2021. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
• "DHS Releases Details for Fully Vaccinated, Non-Citizen Travelers to Enter the U.S. at Land and Ferry Border Crossings". US Department of Homeland Security. US Gov. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
• "DHS to Require Non-U.S. Individual Travelers Entering the United States at Land Ports of Entry and Ferry Terminals to be Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19". US Department of Homeland Security. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
• "COVID-19 public health actions". Government of Alberta. September 2021. Overview: Restrictions Exemption Program. Archived from the original on February 4, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2022. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; February 5, 2022 suggested (help)
• "B.C. launches proof of vaccination to stop spread of COVID-19" (Press release). Government of British Columbia. August 23, 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
• Herring, Jason (July 28, 2021). "As cases surge, Alberta removes isolation requirements for COVID-19 close contacts". Calgary Herald. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
• Kerr, Jaren (August 31, 2021). "Most major accounting firms in Canada to require vaccination for workers in offices". The Globe and Mail.
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• Lowe, Julie; Trosow, Samuel E. "Canadian colleges and universities can mandate COVID-19 vaccination without violating Charter rights". The Conversation.
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