It is just “temporary.” This is the gist of Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s message to his constituents during a news conference at Queen’s Park on Wednesday when asked about the length of time the province will impose the use of the vaccine passport.
Ford gave his message on the same day the province’s vaccine passport system took effect. The said vaccine passport system required Ontarians to present proof of immunization and a photo ID to access and participate in public establishments and events.
Ford pointed out that he “understands” the sentiments of Ontarians regarding the vaccine passport. The Premier shared that he was initially reluctant to implement the measure against COVID-19 but decided to give it a go given the rising number of test-positive cases in the province.
“I know this is a divisive issue,” Ford stressed. “That’s understandable.” However, he emphasized that he also does not want to “do it a day longer than we have to.” The Ontario Premier then went on to highlight the significant need for the vaccine passport regarding the province’s goal of significantly lowering COVID-19 test-positive cases and protecting its hard-fought progress against the adverse effects of the virus.
