BC residents may need two vaccination cards for different uses: one for dining out and one for travel

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BC’s push to be the first out with a COVID-19 vaccine passport may mean residents are required to carry both a provincial and federal proof of vaccination, at least for now.

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On Thursday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government had reached an agreement with the provinces and territories of Canada in which they would adapt their existing COVID passports (used to show that people are vaccinated to access restaurants and other places) to meet the federal need for a vaccine passport to be used for domestic and international travel.

“I am pleased to confirm that all provinces and territories have confirmed that they will go ahead with a standardized national immunization test,” Trudeau said in Ottawa.

The provinces planned to have their version of the Canadian document available by the end of November, according to government officials at a technical briefing held before Trudeau’s announcement.

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However, later that day, British Columbia Prime Minister John Horgan said there was confusion surrounding the launch of the federal passport and that his government was still analyzing how the two passport regimes could be brought together, and that it could lead months.

Horgan said BC was one of the first to submit a proof of vaccine document, knowing it would not work for international travel because BC’s document does not include enough details.

“We wanted to make sure that the people of British Columbia could be involved in their own communities,” Horgan said.

At the time, he said, he thought a vaccine document for international travel was federal jurisdiction.

“That was not my fabric. I let them take care of that, ”he said.

The new provincial-federal card must have the word Canada in the upper corner above a QR code and it must have digital security measures in place. They should also have medical information, including the type of vaccine, the batch number of the vaccine, the date of vaccination, and the number of doses. The BC vaccination card simply shows the name and confirms that the holder is vaccinated.

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Several jurisdictions have already begun implementing the new vaccination test, including Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario, Nunavut, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories, and Yukon.

But not BC

“If you want to travel internationally, or on federally regulated modes of transportation, you will need to have a separate card,” Horgan said, adding that BC would “look at how we can bring the two together.”

Beginning October 30, anyone over the age of 12 who wants to get on a plane or train in Canada will need to show that they are fully inoculated with a Health Canada-approved vaccine. There will be a short transition period until November 30 to allow the unvaccinated to show a negative molecular COVID test.

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The federal government promised $ 1 billion to help provinces and territories pay for passport merge work.

Nova Scotia Health Minister Michelle Thompson said her province’s system has been aligned with the federal initiative “from the beginning.”

“There should be no interruptions. It should be perfect, ”Thompson said.

Some other provinces will have to make changes.

Manitoba Prime Minister Kelvin Goertzen said his province would offer the new vaccination credential, which meets the requirements of the pan-Canadian standard, starting Monday.

“We applaud the leadership of the federal, provincial and territorial governments in providing a standardized credential that can be used to facilitate travel and other activities across the country,” said Mark Agnew of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in a statement Thursday. “Vaccine credentials are a fundamental pillar in our economic recovery, while keeping Canadians safe.”

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Canadian officials have been working with international travel groups and border service agencies in major Canadian destinations to ensure the document is recognized around the world.

“We are very confident that this proof of vaccination certificate, which will be approved by the federal government, issued by the provinces with health information for Canadians, will be accepted in destinations around the world,” Trudeau said.

– With files from The Canadian Press

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