Vaccine passport will no longer be needed in Mississauga, Brampton, Hamilton and Ontario

Starting March 1, people in Mississauga, Brampton, Hamilton and across Ontario can eat in restaurants and bars and visit other indoor settings without having to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination.

In revealing the next phases of reopening Ontario, Premier Doug Ford announced at an impromptu press conference this morning (Feb. 14) that in two more weeks vaccine passports will no longer be needed in order for people to visit various indoor establishments and settings.

The Premier also said that as of this Thursday (Feb. 17), social gathering limits will increase to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors.

Furthermore, capacity limits will be lifted as of Feb. 17 at restaurants, meeting and event spaces, gaming establishments, gyms and other indoor public settings where proof of vaccination is required.

Seating capacity at sports and concert venues, and movie theatres, will be set at 50 per cent as of later this week.

Ford said the easing of restrictions–the Feb. 17 reopenings come four days ahead of schedule–comes in the wake of numbers and trends that show the COVID-19 situation is stabilizing across Ontario.

“Like all of you, I’ve waited a long time for this news,” Ford told the gathering, adding the reopening can move forward thanks to the steps people took the past several months. “That saved tens of thousands of lives from COVID-19.

“Given how well Ontario has done in the Omicron wave, we are able to fast-track our reopening plan.”

Ford did caution that Ontario isn’t yet completely out of the woods, which is why masking requirements in public indoor settings remain in place.

In higher-risk settings such as nightclubs, restaurants with dancing, bathhouses and sex clubs, indoor capacity is 25 per cent. Proof of vaccination is required.

Ontario officials also noted that businesses may choose to continue enforcing vaccine certificates if they wish to do so.

Also, youth between ages 12 and 17 will be eligible for booster doses as of this Friday.