Trade groups question B.C.’s new COVID-19 vaccine passport system

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — B.C.’s new vaccine passport system is being applauded by many stakeholders, after the province announced new restrictions on those who are not immunized against COVID-19.

Starting Sept. 13, the province announced that proof of vaccination will be required in order to access non-essential businesses.

One dose will be required to access most non-essential activities and services. By Oct. 24, only fully immunized people will be able to attend these settings, including indoor ticketed sporting events, indoor and patio dining in restaurants, fitness centres, casinos and indoor organized events, like conferences and weddings.

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The premier says the card will likely give people the confidence to attend events and businesses, by knowing that they will be protected.

Although there has been little pushback, there are many concerns about the details, especially given the requirement will come into effect in three weeks.

‘The devil is going to be in the details”

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business is among those questioning how this will be implemented.

“This is a pretty complicated proposal. The devil is going to be in the details. We still have some concerns with small businesses and we hope the government will continue to consult small businesses,” Seth Scott said.

Responding to the announcement, the BC Chamber of Commerce said it is pleased that the proof of vaccination program will be introduced, however it notes “how the program works in practice must be carefully decided.”

“Burdening businesses and frontline employees with enforcement of public health related initiatives is not appropriate and must be handled in an informed way and with all stakeholders in mind,” the statement from President Fiona Famulak said.

Meanwhile, the Surrey Board of Trade is applauding the new system. However, it says it would like to see one implemented nation-wide.

“We support a centralized, Canada-wide approach to COVID-19 proof-of immunization that could be easily used to confirm vaccination status for international and domestic use. Without inter-provincial harmonization, Canada risks a piecemeal approach, making life more difficult and unpredictable for individuals and employers during an already uncertain time,” the Surrey Board of Trade wrote in a statement.

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A similar statement is coming from the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, which is worried about the possible response that front-line staff will face.

“It’s imperative that the provincial government works closely with business owners to ensure a seamless transition to the B.C. Vaccine Card, one that protects front-line staff, ensures the technology is widely accessible and available, and is compatible with similar efforts across the country,” wrote Bridgitte Anderson, president and CEO.

Mark Von Schellwitz, vice president at Restaurants Canada has similar concerns about how staff will enforce the mandate in restaurants.

“Many of them are very hesitant to put their frontline staff, these young people, in a position where they basically have to police somebody’s vaccination status. And what many of the members have been telling me, it wouldn’t make a lot more sense for the government just to mandate these vaccinations,” he said.

Von Schellwitz wonders what will happen to businesses that may have unvaccinated workers.

“In some cases, we can’t even force our own staff [to get vaccinated]. You could have an unvaccinated staff member, asking a guest to prove that they’re vaccinated in order to eat there,” he said.

Proof of vaccine not required for retail stores

Retail stores are not included in the list of places where proof of immunization will be required.

Greg Wilson, with the Retail Council of Canada, says that makes sense since many stores supply people with essentials, and people don’t congregate in shops they do at bars or restaurants.

“It would be pretty impractical to tell a portion of British Columbians they couldn’t get food or or or pharmaceuticals or clothing for their children, ” he says.

“Retailed is a different sort of business in the sense that it is transient, people come and go quite quickly, they’re not spending a significant amount of time in a group setting. ”

Still, he’s hopeful that the move will have the desired effect of driving up the number of people who get the shot, which will ultimately be a good thing for the retail sector.

“We’re obviously concerned about our employees and so we want the largest number of people to be vaccinated,” he says, noting he is relieved retail workers will not have to enforce the mandate.

“But we’re also concerned for our employees from another perspective. During the mask mandate, it was hard for a lot of retail employees. Enforcing rules at doors is not an easy thing and not part of the training or part of the normal remit for a retail employee. So there were extra difficulties for those retail employees.”

The province says it is working on ensuring that people travelling to B.C. will be able to show proof of vaccine. More details are expected in the coming days.

– With files from Kier Junos