Ford Says Ontario Won't Have A Vaccine Passport Because It Will Lead To A 'Split Society'

Doug Ford rejected the idea of Ontario vaccine passports on Thursday, arguing that it will lead to a provincial divide amongst residents.

The premier told reporters during a COVID-19 update that his government would not require residents to show proof of vaccination, citing concerns over fraudulent records and a "split society."

However, Ford does reveal that if vaccine passports are needed to cross the border, that will be determined by the federal government.

"No we aren't doing it, simple as that, and we're just going to move forward. Now, if it's federal, and it's getting across the border, that's up to the federal government." Ford said. "The answer is no, we're not going to do it, we're not going to have a split society."

Ford's statement echoes that of Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario's chief medical officer of health, who stated on July 13 that, "a passport for within Ontario has not been contemplated by this government. The vision of this government has been to have the highest immunization rate possible through non-mandatory means."

"I don't think it's necessary at this point, given that Ontarians are coming forward and getting immunized at such a great rate," Moore said.

Mayor John Tory is calling for a vaccine passport

In an interview with CP24 on Wednesday, Toronto Mayor John Tory voiced a different opinion.

"The bottom line is that if there are people including governments out there who are going to ask you to show that you've been vaccinated or not as just a practical means, then the same government, the provincial government in this case, has to provide something to people to be able to show they've been vaccinated," said Tory.

"Who else is going to provide the proof of vaccination? The province has all of the records in their system of exactly who got vaccinated, where and when and how many times."