BC Premier John Horgan and BC’s health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry held a press conference to shed some light on what vaccine passports will look like for BC residents. They have set September 13th to be the date by which said passports will be required in order to access certain activities and businesses. BC will be the second province, after Quebec, to implement a vaccine passport rollout.
Residents will need at least one dose of an approved vaccine for indoor concerts, sporting events, movies, etc.
By October 24th, residents are expected to be fully vaccinated if they wish to access said activities along with indoor and patio dining in restaurants, gyms, casinos, conferences, and weddings.
Proof of Vaccination will be required for indoor ticketed sporting events, restaurants (indoor and patio), movie theatres, concerts — including dance and symphony concerts, gyms, casinos, night clubs, weddings, parties, conferences, and any activities that fall under the umbrella of these activities mentioned above.
Retail and grocery stores, religious settings, and youth recreational sports do not require a proof of vaccination.
The government will release a safe and secure website where residents can access their vaccination information and save their information onto their phone for easy retrieval as they will be required to show proof of vacation at various places for various activities. There will be alternative options available for those who do not have access to the website/phone option, such as a call-in centre.
“Providing advanced notice of this measure to stop the spread, keep people safe, and increase confidence will allow those who have not yet got their vaccine to take the necessary action to do so immediately,” said Health Minister Adrian Dix. (via City News)
“This is a temporary measure that’s getting us through a risky period where we know that people who are unvaccinated are at greater risk of both contracting and spreading this virus. If there are those rare people who have a medical reason that they can’t be immunized – these are discretionary events, so they will not be able to attend those events through this period of high risk.” B.C.’s Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry clarified. (via CityNews)