Coaches, officials and volunteers with local sports and recreation leagues are advised of a change to their Proof of Vaccination requirements, which will take effect in mid-October.
Currently, players under the age of 18 are not required to be vaccinated, but all spectators over the age of 12 must provide Proof of Vaccination and Proof of Identity to be allowed within an arena. As it stands, coaches, referees and volunteers all receive a pass.
But now, after new direction from 7 Medical Officers of Health from across Northern Ontario, all coaches, officials and volunteers above the age of 12 will be required to provide Proof of Vaccination or a valid medical exemption to enter an arena as of October 14.
Medical Officer of Health with the Northwestern Health Unit, Dr. Kit Young Hoon, explains that the change will be made to help protect the safety of the players and other spectators.
“This was noted as a gap in a high-risk setting,” explained Young Hoon, during her weekly conference with regional media members on September 29.
“Sports are generally a high-risk activity. You have to exert more energy, forced exhalation, it’s close contact within two metres, often people aren’t wearing mask, and it’s indoors. Vaccination is one way to protect people and allow these sports to continue.”
Northern Ontario’s Medical Officers of Health note that we are still in the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, driven by the Delta variant, and requiring Proof of Vaccination will help keep sports up and running in Northern Ontario – especially as teams regularly travel between communities.
As well, they’re urging everyone above the age of 12 to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as possible, and all organizations are encouraged to develop and implement their own COVID-19 vaccination policies.