Ford wants limits on traveller exemptions
Concern that Ontario’s cases may be related to unvaccinated visitors
Premier Doug Ford is stepping up his campaign to have Prime Minister Justin Trudeau clamp down on exemptions for unvaccinated travellers, the Star has learned.
Ford will hold a news conference at 11 a.m. Friday at Queen’s Park with Dr. Kieran Moore, the chief medical officer of health, to tout the new Verify Ontario system for proof of vaccination against COVID-19.
The verification application, which is already available for businesses to download for free on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store, will enable businesses to scan Ontarians’ QR vaccination codes as of Oct. 22.
“To ensure the app was available to businesses and organizations in real time tomorrow, the verification app was added to app stores today,” the premier’s office said Thursday.
At Friday’s announcement, Ford is expected to be asked about bolstering rules for travellers arriving in Ontario.
“The double-vaccinated who have a negative PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test are not the problem,” said a senior Progressive Conservative official, speaking confidentially in order to discuss policy recommendations that will be unveiled next week.
“There are just too many exemptions” to being vaccinated against COVID-19, the Ford adviser said.
“We’re going to put out what we believe are the public health recommendations (Ottawa) should follow to keep us all safe,” the insider said.
Conceding that, because airports and borders are federally regulated, Ford’s calls could be largely seen as “symbolic,” the official stressed that the data is raising red flags.
There is growing concern that a significant number of Ontario’s new daily COVID-19 cases can be traced to travellers who have not been vaccinated.
That is magnified because it comes against the backdrop of the government’s controversial plan to fire essential front-line workers who refuse to get vaccinated.
“This is a source of frustration we’ve had with the federal government,” the provincial insider said, adding more details are expected in the province’s updated reopening plan that will be released next week.
Indeed, there are loopholes in Ottawa’s restrictions.
“Fully vaccinated foreign nationals may be allowed to enter Canada for discretionary (tourism) travel,” reads the federal edict.
“Foreign nationals who don’t qualify as fully vaccinated will only be allowed to enter in specific circumstances,” it continues.
But “exempt travellers” do not necessarily have to quarantine when they arrive, even if they have not had any shot.
“Under certain circumstances, you may be exempt from some requirements,” the federal rules state.
These include “frequent cross-border workers” employed in “critical infrastructure,” such as health, transportation, manufacturing, energy, food supply, water safety and communication technologies.
More concerning to Queen’s Park is the lack of federal enforcement.
“There are strict requirements you must follow even if you are exempt from quarantine,” Ottawa’s rules state.
“You must: wear a mask at all times when in public spaces, maintain a list of all close contacts for your first 14 days in Canada, monitor yourself for signs and symptoms of COVID-19.”
“Our approach is going to continue to be cautious, cautious, cautious. What we want is to not overload the health-care system. The current indicators are that we won’t have to go back, but we have to be careful,” said the top Conservative.
“We’re going to give everybody clarity at the same time,” the source said.