Manitobans can now get federal proof of COVID-19 vaccination for travel
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 24/10/2021 (885 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
WINNIPEG – Manitobans can now get a federal COVID-19 vaccine passport that will soon be required for international and domestic travel.
People can go to the same website Manitoba has used since June to issue provincial COVID-19 passports and instantly download a federal digital QR code.
“You can print it off to carry it with you, if needed, or you can keep it on your phone or electronic device,” Reg Helwer, minister of central services, said Monday.
The provincial passport has been required to get into restaurants, pro sporting events, cinemas and other venues. Helwer said it is still preferable in those cases because it contains less personal health information than the federal one.
The provincial QR code reveals a person’s name and whether they are fully inoculated. The federal one also contains information on what kind of vaccines were given and on what dates, Helwer said.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last week announced the plan for a national vaccine passport for travel. Starting Saturday, anyone over the age of 12 who wishes to get on a plane or train in Canada will need to prove full vaccination. There will be a short transition period until Nov. 30 to allow the unvaccinated to show a negative molecular COVID-19 test instead.
Data released Monday shows Manitoba remains in the midst of a fourth wave of the pandemic. Health officials reported 464 new COVID-19 cases over the last four days and two additional deaths.
The province’s chief public health officer said the numbers have ticked upward slightly in recent days, which could be tied to increased socializing over the Thanksgiving holiday.
“We saw a day on the weekend there with nearly 150 reported cases, so that’s higher than what we’ve typically seen,” Dr. Brent Roussin said.
“We’re going to have to continue to follow those trends. We’re certainly not done with this fourth wave.”
The province extended its public health orders for another three weeks, with one minor change for a handful of communities just outside Winnipeg.
The communities include Niverville, Ritchot and Headingley. They are part of the southern health region, where vaccination rates are generally low and retail capacity has been capped at 50 per cent.
Starting Tuesday, those communities will be lumped in with Winnipeg and have their capacity limit lifted. Roussin cited their proximity to Winnipeg and high vaccination rates compared to other areas in the southern region.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 25, 2021.
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Updated on Monday, October 25, 2021 3:25 PM CDT: Fixes typo in sidebar