Youth playing organized indoor sports in York Region will be required to be fully vaccinated as of Oct. 1
York Region Public Health is eliminating the provincial exemption for COVID-19 vaccine verification for indoor sports for players aged 12 and older.
Medical officer of health Dr. Karim Kurji issued a letter of instruction Sept. 28 that will require organizations and individuals responsible for indoor sports facilities to verify players age 12 and older — as well as coaches, spectators, and participants — have proof of vaccination or a valid medical exemption.
“Outbreaks in York Region have been identified in basketball, dance and other sports settings. As more activities, including fitness and sports, move indoors during the colder months, these added measures will help slow the spread of COVID-19,” the region said in a news release.
Public notices were issued in the last few weeks about confirmed COVID-19 cases linked to basketball tournaments in Vaughan and Markham, with the public health unit expressing concern regarding the lack of information gathered by organizers to facilitate contact tracing.
The Town of Newmarket has already taken a similar approach, requiring proof of vaccination for those 12 and older to access its facilities without allowing for the provincial organized sports exemption. However, the York Region order will apply to indoor sports at all facilities, including private ones.
However, in a statement published by the Newmarket Minor Hockey Association, the town said it would not fully enforce the rule on youth until Nov. 1, when it originally planned to start verifying vaccinations for those 12-17.
The regional letter also requires proof of full vaccination, superseding a grace period the town had built in its rules, which were slated to only apply to youth starting Oct. 31.
Kurji said COVID-19 counts remain concerning, with the fourth wave upon us. He said organized spots have the potential to enhance COVID-19 transmission.
“Specifically, close contact, forceful exhalation, prolonged exposure, crowded indoor spaces, and masks and face coverings removed during physical activity contribute to enhanced likelihood of COVID-19 transmission,” Kurji said in his letter. “Verifying proof of vaccination for persons 12 years and older in the facilities noted above, in accordance with this letter of instruction, will strengthen protections for York Region communities by helping curb the spread of COVID-19.”
York Region director of corporate communications Patrick Casey said public health projections show York could have 430 daily cases by December. He also said data suggests of 10 basketball-related outbreaks in the province from Feb. 20 to Sept. 20, one in five cases were in York Region and two-thirds of the cases were under 18. He also noted almost all of York's COVID-related hospitalizations and deaths in the past two months have been in the unvaccinated or partially vaccinated.
The letter also specifies facilities must obey all other requirements under the Reopening Ontario Act. The instructions come with enforceable fines of up to $100,000 for individuals or $10,000,000 per day for corporations for non-compliance.
"Thank you for your ongoing support throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to help protect the health of York Region residents,” the region said in a news release. “It is through our collective efforts we will keep our communities safe."
