Portal to access Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccine receipt is down as certificate system goes into effect
Published September 22, 2021 at 7:39 am
Ontario’s new COVID-19 vaccine certificate system goes into effect Wednesday (Sept. 22) but if residents wanted to print off their vaccine receipt this morning, they are out of luck as the Province’s website is down.
A notice on the province’s COVID-19 website where Ontarians can access their vaccine receipts said the site is currently down for maintenance.
The notice said the site will be down twice weekly for maintenance, including Tuesday night to Wednesday mornings and Saturday night to Sunday mornings.
The timing of this week’s scheduled maintenance, however, couldn’t be more inconvenient.
Starting Wednesday, patrons at dine-in restaurants, nightclubs, gyms, sports facilities and other venues in Ontario must present a receipt of full vaccination along with government identification as the new vaccine certificate system goes into effect.
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Doctors’ notes for medical exemptions will be accepted, but businesses that don’t comply with the checks required by the system and patrons who give false information may be fined. However, businesses, bylaw officers, police forces and the province have said enforcement will be gentle at first.
Premier Doug Ford has said he understands some people are concerned their civil liberties are being infringed upon, but the greater concern is another surge in infections that requires locking down the province again.
While venues will have to check paper or digital vaccine receipts with identification at first, the province has said it aims to launch a QR code and verification app for businesses on Oct. 22 to streamline the process.
— with a file from the Canadian Press
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