Is there a need for a standardized federal vaccine passport?
There has been lots of debate around the idea of a national vaccine passport system, to facilitate travel and clarify access to businesses and services as the country continues to re-open after the worst of the pandemic. More than 51 per cent of the eligible population in Canada is now fully vaccinated. Almost 80 per cent have received at least one dose. Now the questions continue about the need for a full on federal vaccine passport. At this point it appears the provinces will be policing themselves. Different provinces will be doing different things, says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Where the federal government has a role to play and where we are looking is in terms of vaccine certification for international travel.  Quebec has already taken steps to implement a vaccine passport system but in Ontario the premiers office says Doug Ford will not make vaccines mandatory in the province. The Toronto Region Board of Trade is calling on the Ontario government to introduce a vaccine passport system for non-essential business activity. In one week restrictions on non-essential travel at the Canada-U.S. border are set to expire. While cases in Canada continue to drop the U.S. has seen a recent uptick in new infections in areas with low vaccination rates.