The Toronto Zoo says that it will continue to ask patrons for proof of vaccination, even as the province scraps its mandatory vaccine passport system.
The zoo made the announcement in a social media post on Tuesday morning, as the province officially lifted most of its remaining public health restrictions, outside of a mask mandate for indoor public settings.
“Your Toronto Zoo’s animals remain vulnerable to the risks of COVID-19 infection, and as such we will continue to employ all measures that ensure their continued protection and wellbeing,” the post states. “Your zoo is working towards vaccinating our COVID-19 susceptible species. We believe that our vaccination efforts will provide a greater degree of protection and/or reduce risks of serious illness. Without a clear understanding of the on-going risk to our animals, we will continue with our current practices, including requiring proof of vaccine, mandatory masking, and all other COVID-19 health and safety measures.”
The Ontario government has had a proof-of-vaccination system in place for some non-essential settings since September but lifted the requirement as of midnight as part of a broader reopening.
It has said that some settings can continue to use the app rolled out by the province to check for proof of vaccination, though it will now be solely at the discretion of businesses to decide whether they want to mandate vaccination.
In its statement, the zoo said that it anticipates that it will be finished vaccinating eligible animals by April 30, at which point the policy will be reviewed.
