Waterloo Region businesses preparing for vaccine passport rollout
Businesses in Waterloo Region are expressing mixed opinions about the COVID-19 vaccine certificate program, just over one week before it will officially be rolled out across the province.
Staff at THEMUSUEM in Kitchener said safety trumps everything and are looking forward to the new rules.
“We've got to get out of this with vaccinations and if this helps people choose to get vaccinated, that’s a very good thing,” said David Marskell, CEO of THEMUSEUM.
On Tuesday, the province announced more details regarding exceptions to the vaccine passport program.
Although the announcement did not specifically mention museums, staff at THEMUSEUM said a large part of their business is considered an event space so they will be using vaccine passports.
Marskell said there will be a learning curve but admitted they are ready for it.
“It might be a little onerous. We might have to add some staff at the entrance to ensure people are vaccinated,” he said.
Elsewhere, the St. Marys Golf & Country Club is concerned about staffing when the vaccine passport program comes into effect Sept. 22.
“It’s once again a burden on the hospitality businesses,” said Matt Staffen, the General Manager at the St. Marys Golf Club.
The province announced those attending wedding ceremonies or funeral services don’t need to provide proof of vaccination, as long as they aren’t attending any associated social gatherings or reception at the event space. Vaccine passports must be used at receptions.
St. Marys Golf Club said about 60 per cent of their business is weddings.
“It’s going to create a significant amount of complication and frustration for our guests,” said Stratten. “When people start showing up, a piece of paper, going to start showing us emails on the phone and that sort of thing, it’s going to make it all very confusing.”
The province said a QR code that will be shown on phones and an accompanying app should be available by Oct. 22.
The St. Marys Golf Club manager said he is worried the issue of vaccine passports might turn violent, as they’ve been hearing from concerned residents on the phone.
“For example, they said I would hate to see a staff member get punched in the face because of because they’re asking for somebody’s health record,” said Stratten.
At the news conference on Tuesday, Ontario's Health Minister Christine Elliott said if businesses feel threatened by those refusing to produce a vaccine passport, staff should call 911 as soon as possible.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.
Djokovic needs medical attention after getting knocked on the head by a water bottle at Italian Open
Novak Djokovic needed medical attention after apparently getting knocked on the head by a water bottle after a win at the Italian Open on Friday.