Talks underway on vaccine passports, Ahmed says
Windsor, Ont. -
Windsor-Essex Medical Officer of Health Dr. Wajid Ahmed says "active discussions " are taking place with his provincial counterparts over a vaccine passport.
Speaking on AM800's The Morning Drive Thursday, Ahmed said some kind of proof of vaccination for various non-essential activities is being discussed to keep the economy open, while COVID-19 case counts continue to rise.
"The risk that is associated with this type of transmission...we may have to think about more strict measures,” Ahmed explains, “and can we do that vaccine passport or some kind of proof of vaccination for some of the non-essential activities and support the economy to keep it open.”
Ahmed says none of the medical officers of health want to shutdown the economy because of the widespread transmission rates.
On Thursday, Chatham-Kent Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Colby expressed his support for a vaccine certification program, saying a regional approach would be better but admits it would be best executed by upper levels of government.
“This has got to be a provincial or a federal approach in my opinion.”
Ahmed says that he doesn't think they will get an agreement in all regions of Ontario because some health units are more impacted than others.
"If not health unit by health unit, is there a regional approach that could be adopted? So there are a number of technological issues as well like what kind of platform can be used. So all of those are in discussion," Ahmed says.
Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, Eastern Ontario's medical officer of health, says the medical officers of health across the province agreed on Wednesday to create their own proof of vaccination certificate in each jurisdiction to prove someone has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
The office of Health Minister Christine Elliott told CTV News on Wednesday there are no plans to introduce a COVID-19 vaccine passport.
- With files from AM800 News and CTV News Ottawa
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