OTTAWA – Opposition parties are putting pressure on the federal government to provide more detailed guidance for Canadians who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
This comes as many people across the country roll up their sleeves for second doses.
Other countries, like the U.S., have already outlined what fully immunized people can do, like gather with others without masks. In Canada, no such guidance has been made clear.
“What the next steps are in terms of how safe they are, what can happen next. We need to be very clear so that people have good advice to make decisions around,” says NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh.
So far, 13 per cent of eligible Canadians have been fully vaccinated.
The Conservatives and Green Party are also pushing for a detailed plan.
“To work hand in hand with the other levels of government to come up with a single, coordinated guideline system so that people can know what information to rely on and so that they can have certainty,” said Green Leader Annamie Paul.
The Public Health Agency had released more vague guidance about what could reopen and what rules may relax when we hit specific targets. We have been told specific guidance for people with both shots is being discussed among federal and provincial officials.
Opinion among experts on whether providing a framework is a good idea has been divided. Some argue that creating a separate set of restrictions for people who are fully vaccinated versus those who are not is a risky idea, while others say it’s something worth considering.
In April, the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidance to say fully vaccinated people could travel within that country without getting tested or going into quarantine.
In May, the CDC added it was easing mask wearing guidance for people who had received full immunization, saying they could forego a face covering outdoors in crowds and in most indoor settings.
-With files from The Canadian Press