‘Enforcement is the issue’: B.C. set to unveil details of vaccine passport Tuesday

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – B.C.’s upcoming vaccine passport system is set to be rolled out in just a week’s time, but the province’s labour minister admits there are still challenges when it comes to figuring out how the new requirement will be enforced.

The province is expected to unveil full details about the program on Tuesday. The hope is that B.C.’s top doctor will address many questions that have been raised since the province announced its plan last month.

That includes details around how to get your passport. Labour Minister Harry Bains says the province is ready to support businesses, which will be required to enforce the new mandate.

Ahead of BC unveiling full vaccine passport details on Tues., @HarryBainsSN admits "enforcement is the issue," as businesses prepare to enforce it. He adds earlier in the pandemic, @WorkSafeBC closed places not following the rules and that could happen again. More on @NEWS1130.

— Sonia Aslam (@SoniaSAslam) September 6, 2021

While he says stakeholders in industries affected, like restaurants, gyms, casinos, and nightclubs, are being consulted, Bains would not provide a lot of specifics as to what that support will look like.

“The enforcement is the issue, and we’re working with businesses (to determine) what support they need. So is it individual by business or as a sector? They reach out and those details will be announced, as I said — what are the rules, how are they enforced, and what is the government going to do to support them in implementing those? Because we want to make sure that the businesses operate, we want to make sure that the workers are not put in harm’s way in those operations, and we want to make sure that the customers have the confidence to go into those businesses and that their health and safety is protected as well,” Bains told NEWS 1130 Monday.

The first phase of the vaccination card will require people prove they have gotten at least one dose of a vaccine to access a number of events, businesses, and services. By late October, both doses will be required.

However, there’s been much criticism levelled at the province, mainly around timing. Many people have concerns that B.C. has not given industries enough time to prepare for the vaccine passport rollout.

---

Related articles: 

• B.C. vaccine passport: Vancouver restaurants concerned with enforcement post-protests

• Advocacy groups raise accessibility concerns

• ‘They should be ashamed of themselves’: Protesters target B.C. hospitals disrupting patients, staff

---

News of the new requirement has also sparked mass protests outside hospitals, with thousands of people taking to the streets across B.C. last week, many of them in opposition to the upcoming proof of vaccination requirement.

The loud and, at times, aggressive protests have also raised concerns by some businesses about potential conflicts with patrons who don’t want to divulge their vaccination status.

Bains is vowing to continue supporting businesses, many of which have struggled immensely over the past 18 months through closures, COVID-19 health measures, and lost or no revenue.

“We are working with businesses and their associations, their representatives, to see what we can do to provide those tools if [what they have isn’t sufficient]. Safety plans were devised sector specifically, but then again, individual businesses, when they need support, the WCB and PHO work with them to come up with the detailed information for them to have those safety plans,” he explained, adding it’s important not just for the businesses, but for customers too.

Related video: B.C. to implement COVID-19 vaccine card

Restaurants Canada hoping for a grace period

Meanwhile, Mark von Schellwitz with Restaurants Canada says owners were hoping they would get a couple of weeks to test the app out as a pilot project before it was implemented.

He admits they’re worried about their already struggling bottom line.

“There’s a lot of concern, certainly in the industry, that they’re going to have to add some extra staffing to control this well,” he says. “And to avoid those unpleasant confrontations with our staff, which certainly is a big fear, is in a lot of members minds.”

However, von Schellwitz says the passport is better than having to shut restaurants down again.

“You’ve got some restaurants where this is really going to impact them, depending where they are in the province. So it’s no easy solution, but as far as the vaccine card, compared to the alternative, I guess it would still probably be better,” he notes.

As the province transitions towards a passport system, von Schellwitz says it would help if B.C. restaurants are given some slack before they start getting handed fines for not following the rules.

“What we’re asking for there is, give us some time, maybe do some piloting, and possibly even next week so that we can make sure that we work out any sort of technical glitches,” he says. “Give us a bit of a grace period, maybe a couple of weeks … because it’s going to take a while for training and for the customers and everybody to be educated.”

Quebec was the first province to roll out a vaccine passport system in Canada. Just days after launch, many businesses reported having to close indoor dining areas because of confrontations.

While few details have been shared about B.C.’s plan, the province has said smartphones can be used to show proof of vaccination. A secure paper option will also be available for those who do not have access to smartphones.