How to access Stratford rec centres once vaccine passports are in effect
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City officials in Stratford have clarified the rules that will be in place at indoor recreation facilities when Ontario’s vaccine passports come into effect on Wednesday.
With very limited exceptions, government-issued ID and proof of full vaccination will be required from everyone entering the Stratford Rotary Complex, the Allman Arena, the Dufferin Arena, and the Agriplex. COVID-19 screening questions will also be asked prior to entry.
Following provincial guidelines, people who cannot receive the vaccine for valid medical reasons will be exempt with a doctor’s note. Children younger than 12 currently unable to be vaccinated are also exempt, and patrons of the Saturday Farmers Market at the Agriplex will not be required to show proof of vaccination either, the city said.
Organized sports participants younger than 18 are exempt from the policy in Stratford, but some sports leagues may still require them to be fully vaccinated. The Ontario Minor Hockey Association and the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association, for instance, have announced that players 12 and older must be fully vaccinated in order to play.
Some municipalities, including nearby St. Marys, have also made the vaccine passport rules mandatory for all users 12 and older, regardless of the activity they’re participating in.
Stratford has hired a security firm to support its staff in verifying proof of vaccination. St. Marys is taking similar precautions after recently experiencing pushback against vaccine passport rules from some members of the public.
Other safety measures, including face masks and physical distancing, still apply to anyone entering local recreational facilities.
The province announced its vaccine passport plans at the beginning of September. As of Wednesday, patrons of indoor businesses, including restaurants, bars, gyms, concert halls and cinemas, will be required to be fully vaccinated in order to enter. Those establishments must ensure the name on the vaccine document and the name on the identification match, a burden some area businesses are concerned about due to lack of staff and, in some cases, intimidation from members of the public opposed to the new rules.
Exemptions are in place for anyone who must go indoors to use a washroom, pick up an order or make a retail purchase, as well as those who are attending a wedding or funeral rite, but not the social gathering that follows in an event space.
Medical exemptions approved by the province include those who have had an anaphylactic reaction to vaccination and those who have inflammation of the heart, with a few other potential exemptions under investigation. Those exempted for medical reasons will need to show a doctor’s note until their exemption can be integrated into a digital passport, an option the province has said will be ready by Oct. 22.
Proof of vaccination can be downloaded or printed from the provincial booking portal. Those who need assistance to obtain their receipt can call the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre at 1-833-943-3900.
Public libraries in Stratford and St. Marys are also offering to help citizens access their vaccine receipts and print them free of charge.
The proof of vaccination policy has resulted in an increase in vaccination rates, according to the province. Between Sept. 1 and Sept. 8, the seven-day average for first doses administered in Ontario increased by more than 29 per cent. During that time, more than 90,000 first doses and 102,000 second doses were administered in Ontario to people aged 18 to 59.
-With files from Postmedia News and the Canadian Press
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