Vaughan removing capacity limits in community centre amenities
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Proof of vaccination no
longer required as of Tuesday, March 1
Following the Province’s announcement that Ontario will be cautiously
and gradually easing additional public health measures, the City of Vaughan will
be removing capacity limits at its community centre amenities, including fitness
centres, swimming pools and arenas on Thursday, Feb. 17. Also, starting Tuesday,
March 1 the City will no longer require proof of vaccination for patrons at
community centres.
Pre-registration to
workout is not required. Fitness centres have a new, digital scan in process
for you. A membership key tag is required to gain access to the fitness centre.
To obtain a membership key tag, visit the Customer Service desk. Pre-registration
and pre-payment is available for recreational drop-in activities, including
swimming, aquafitness, skating and sports and can be done at vaughan.perfectmind.com.
Additional provincial COVID-19
safety measures that will come into effect on Thursday, Feb. 17, include:
- increasing social gathering limits to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors
- increasing organized public event limits to 50 people indoors, with no limit outdoors
- removing capacity limits in the following indoor public settings where proof of vaccination is required, including but not limited to:
- restaurants, bars and other food or drink establishments without dance facilities
- non-spectator areas of sports and recreational fitness facilities, including gyms
- cinemas
- meeting and event spaces, including conference centres or convention centres
- casinos, bingo halls and other gaming establishments
- indoor areas of settings that choose to opt-in to proof of vaccination requirements.
- allowing 50 per cent of the usual seating capacity at sports arenas
- allowing 50 per cent of the usual seating capacity for concert venues and theatres
- increasing indoor capacity limits to 25 per cent in the remaining higher-risk settings where proof of vaccination is required, including nightclubs, restaurants where there is dancing, as well as bathhouses and sex clubs
- increasing capacity limits for indoor
weddings, funerals or religious services, rites, or ceremonies to the
number of people who can maintain two metres physical distance. Capacity
limits are removed if the location opts-in to use proof of vaccination or
if the service, rite, or ceremony is occurring outdoors
Health and safety
To keep the community safe, York Region Public Health is asking residents to follow this advice:
- Practise physical distancing with anyone outside of your household by staying two metres away from everyone else.
- Wash your hands thoroughly and often.
- Practise respiratory etiquette.
- Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands.
- Wear a face mask or covering when inside public places and when physical distancing cannot be maintained.
- Clean high-touch surfaces often.
- Download the COVID-Alert app.
Proof of vaccination
All patrons visiting a City community
centre must present the Province of Ontario’s enhanced vaccine certificate with
a QR code until Tuesday, March 1. Download it by visiting https://covid-19.ontario.ca/get-proof/ or call the Provincial Vaccine Contact
Centre at 1-833-943-3900 to have your vaccine certificate mailed.
- The following proof of identification is acceptable for those aged 18 years and older (note: photo ID is not required):
- Birth certificate
- Citizenship card
- Driver’s licence
- Government (Ontario or other) issued identification card, including health card
- Indian Status Card/Indigenous Membership Card
- Passport
- Permanent Resident card
All individuals aged 12 years and older who are entering an indoor municipal
recreation facility, where organized sports are played and/or practiced, must provide identification and proof of
being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or a valid medical
exemption. In-person campers aged 12 years old must comply with this directive.
The following proof of
identification is acceptable for those aged 12 to 17 years:
- Documentation issued by an institution or public body provided it includes their name and date of birth
- Examples include:
- Health card
- Library card
- Student ID
Also, children turning 12 years of age in 2022
will have a grace period of 12 weeks – or three months – from their birthday in
which they will not need to show proof of vaccination at indoor sports and
recreation facilities. This
will allow those who are turning 12 years old to have enough time to get
vaccinated.
Individuals who are unable to be fully
vaccinated because they have an active medical exemption will need to show
their enhanced vaccine certificate with official QR code, along with a piece of
ID. A written medical exemption is no longer accepted to access businesses and
organizations that require proof of vaccination. To
obtain a medical exemption, individuals must:
- ask an Ontario physician or registered nurse in the extended class to submit their exemption request directly to the public health unit where the issuer’s practice is located
- once
the exemption is accepted and entered into COVaxON by the public
health unit, individuals will be able to access their enhanced vaccine
certificate with QR code through the COVID-19
vaccination portal
Every eligible individual
is encouraged to get vaccinated as soon as possible to help slow the spread of
COVID-19. Many convenient
options and locations are
available within York Region to receive a vaccine by walking in or booking an
appointment. Visit york.ca/COVID19Vaccine for the latest
information.
Those who feel unwell
and believe they have symptoms related to COVID-19 should contact York Region
Public Health at 1-800-361-5653 or Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000.
For additional information and resources on the virus, visit York Region's
website at york.ca/COVID19.
For updates
and news as they happen, subscribe to Vaughan News and follow
the official corporate channels on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
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