BC Says There Will Be Absolutely No Exemptions For Its Vaccine Passport

If you plan on going to restaurants, concerts, or sporting events in B.C. this fall, you'll need to make sure you bring your vaccine passport, or you won't be able to attend.

On Monday, August 23, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced via video conference that the province will start using vaccine cards on September 13. The card will be necessary to gain admittance to a variety of activities including movies, gyms, and weddings.

When asked if someone can be exempt if they can't be immunized due to a medical or religious reason, Dr. Henry said that "the short answer is no."

"This is a temporary measure that's getting us through a risky period where we know that people who are unvaccinated are at greater risk of both contracting and spreading this virus," she said. "So if there are those rare people who have a medical reason why they can't be immunized, these are discretionary events that we're talking about, so they will not be able to attend those events through this period of time of high risk. There are no exemptions for other reasons."

When it comes to those travelling to B.C. from out of province, Dr. Henry said "we will have the ability for them to show their proof of vaccine and it will be compatible with Quebec and other provinces with what their proof of immunization or their immunization record is, so we have a process for that."

According to Dr. Henry, the only exception to the exemption is children under the age of 12 who are not yet eligible for the vaccine, but the adult they are with must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.