Sask. will not require proof of vaccination at venues, events

REGINA -

Saskatchewan will not require proof of COVID-19 vaccination for access to events once restrictions are lifted.

“There’s also been some question about whether certain venues and events can ask for proof of vaccination before allowing people to attend those events. That will not be a provincial requirement in Saskatchewan,” Premier Scott Moe said during the COVID-19 press conference on Tuesday. “It would be a potential violation of health information privacy if we were to do this – if we were to ask anyone for proof of vaccination to attend an event.”

Moe said the government is still encouraging everyone to get their vaccine.

He said other levels of government could potentially require proof of vaccinations under certain circumstances.

“There is an area where there may be some requirements to show a vaccination. They won’t be in the provincial scope or sphere of influence, but maybe the national or international sphere of influence,” Moe said, referencing the need to provide Malaria and Typhoid vaccination proof. “It’s entirely possible that you’re going to require to have proof of COVID-19 vaccination in much the same way you do now to attain a visa to visit some of these countries.”

He said there could also be some requirements to provide proof of vaccination to avoid a two week isolation period when returning to Canada from other countries. Moe said the province is working with the federal government on how that information would be provided.

Scott Livingstone, the CEO of the Saskatchewan Health Authority, said asking for vaccination updates would go against privacy laws.

“Even your health card number is personal health information. Banks are not allowed to ask for your health card number and nobody else is for a form of I.D. and so is vaccination status,” Livingstone said. “It’s not a requirement for an individual to one, provide it, or for other individuals to even ask for it if it’s not related to the provision of health services.”

Meanwhile in Manitoba, the provincial government is rolling out immunization cards for those who have received both of their vaccines.

Moe said if the province keeps up its current vaccination pace, about 60 per cent of residents could be fully vaccinated by the time restrictions lift on July 11, and more than 70 per cent would be fully vaccinated by the end of July.

“It will also be up to businesses and other employers to decide whether they want to keep any of their COVID-19 practices that they currently have in place past July 11,” Moe said.