‘We need to use every tool:’ Ottawa mayor urges province to adopt vaccine certificate
Posted Aug 30, 2021 04:34:00 PM.
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson and Ottawa Board of Health Chair Keith Egli are strongly encouraging the provincial government to move forward with the implementation of a COVID-19 vaccine certificate program.
“Locking down the economy and closing schools can no longer be our primary way of slowing the spread of this virus when we have the vaccine so readily available to all those who are eligible,” reads a letter to Premier Doug Ford from Watson and Egli, Monday, August 30.
The mayor and chair acknowledge that the province is considering a vaccine certificate and are urging it to “approve this program as quickly as possible.”
The letter outlines that other jurisdictions in Canada that have implemented a similar program have seen major increases in vaccine uptake. Ottawa is nearing 80 per cent fully vaccinated already, and the mayor believes a vaccine certificate could get the city to its goal of 90 per cent.
Watson and Egli say they are also concerned about the consequences of not implementing a certificate program when there is one in place right across the Ottawa River.
“There is now an increased likelihood that Quebec residents who are not vaccinated will choose to come to Ottawa to do their shopping, eat in restaurants and take part in other activities where it is easier to transmit and contract COVID-19, leading to more local transmission in Ottawa,” explain the city officials.
The decision to leave it up to businesses to verify provincial documentation would also be wrong, says Watson and Egli.
The letter gives the example of the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group, who will face a huge logistical challenge trying to verify the double-vaccination status of 15,000 fans it hopes to host at TD Place after September 12.
This morning, Councillor @KeithEgli and I wrote to Premier Ford to offer our support for a proof-of-vaccine program.
We believe this tool would be the most effective to get us across the finish line of our vaccination campaign and avoid further economic and social disruptions. pic.twitter.com/CFtM2I7tCO
— Jim Watson (@JimWatsonOttawa) August 30, 2021
The mayor and board of health chair believe we've reached a tipping point in the fight against COVID-19 and a COVID-19 vaccination certificate could be one of the best tools to curb a fourth wave and any further economic disruptions.
Listen to Mayor Jim Watson's Monday appearance on CityNews' The Sam Laprade Show:
