Ontario opposition parties are calling on the Ford government to expand use of the province’s COVID-19 proof of vaccination system to LCBOs and cannabis stores.
“With lives and livelihoods at stake, we cannot afford Doug Ford bungling another reopening,” Ontario Liberal Party leader Steven Del Duca said in a statement Tuesday.
“He needs to strengthen the vaccine certificate now to make sure this reopening is permanent, so that we can all get back to doing the things we love sooner, and so that businesses are not shut down again.”
The Liberals called for vaccine certificates to be used at LCBOs, cannabis stores and non-essential retail.
Last week, Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath also called for vaccine certificates to be required in those settings.
The Liberals’ statement called for curbside pick-up to be made available at LCBO stores for those who are unvaccinated and have alcohol dependence.
The Liberals have also said that the definition of fully vaccinated should be adjusted to require booster doses.
When asked last week whether the province will change the definition of fully vaccinated, Premier Doug Ford said “not right at this point.”
Global News reached out to the premier’s office and the Ministry of Health for a comment on the calls to expand the use of the proof of vaccination system but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
In Ontario, of the aged 12 and older population, around 88.9 per cent are considered fully vaccinated and 46.7 per cent have received a booster dose.
Quebec recently expanded the use of its proof of vaccination system to a number of retail settings.
As of Jan. 18, proof of vaccination also became mandatory to enter Quebec’s liquor and cannabis stores.
— With files from Gabby Rodrigues and The Canadian Press
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