Ontario dropping vaccine proof requirement, claims its now ‘safe to do so’ and protests played no role

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(Video Credit: CityNews)

Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced Monday that the nation’s most populous province will drop COVID vaccine passport requirements in two weeks because “it is safe to do so,” not because of the coincidental “Freedom Convoy” protests that thousands attended.

The Ambassador Bridge reopened on Monday after 25 to 30 protesters were arrested over the weekend and vehicles were towed. However, the larger “Freedom Convoy” protest taking place in Ottawa is still going on as progressive elitist leaders fume over not being able to regain control.

Saturday’s crowd in the city swelled to 4,000 demonstrators, according to police, and pro-lockdown counter-protesters proudly flew communist flags.

People will no longer be forced to show proof of vaccination to enter restaurants, gyms, and sporting events. The 50 percent capacity limit forced on restaurants will end on Thursday. However, a mask mandate is still in effect and a specific timeline for lifting them will be “communicated at a later date.”

“Like all of you I’ve waited a long time for this news, but please never doubt that the steps we took together, as difficult as they were, were absolutely necessary and saved tens of thousands of lives,” Ford said during a news conference at Queen’s Park on Monday.

“The extraordinary measures that we introduced during this pandemic were always intended as a last resort. I stood at this very podium and promised you that these tools would only be used for as long as they were absolutely necessary and not one day longer,” he asserted.

“Let me be very clear: We are moving in this direction because it is safe to do so. Today’s announcement is not because of what’s happening in Ottawa or Windsor but despite it,” Ford disingenuously proclaimed. “We’re moving forward as a province and a country, and this chaos is not going to be tolerated, I promise you that.”

“To those of you who are there with a sole objective of causing disruption and chaos, there will be serious consequences for this lawless activity. We will continue to raise the consequences against those who are holding millions of jobs and people hostage,” he vowed in reference to the “Freedom Convoy.”

“All of it has polarized us in a way that we could have never imagined. I’ve experienced this in my own family. It’s been one of the hardest things my family and I have ever gone through,” Ford said. “But for all of this, I can still take comfort in knowing that there remains so much that unites us. There’s so much that still holds us together. And I take comfort in knowing that this awful pandemic will soon be behind us.”

He remarked that he fully supports Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government and any measures it intends to implement to clamp down on protesters.

“We need law and order. Our country is at risk now. It’s not just happening here in Ottawa, but it’s happening in Alberta and British Columbia,” Ford worriedly remarked. “We won’t accept it.”

Trudeau is set to meet virtually with Canadian province leaders on Monday as well as with politicians, according to the Associated Press.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government has so far rejected the use of the military but has stated that “all options are on the table” to end the protests. That includes invoking the Emergencies Act, which gives the government broad powers to put down unrest.

Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore also announced that proof of vaccination, which was first implemented in the province in September, has “served its purpose.”

“We have the level of protection we need to remove public health restrictions,” Moore said during a news conference.

The “Freedom Convoy” has inspired a movement across the globe in multiple countries such as the United States, France, New Zealand, and the Netherlands.

As the Omicron variant levels off in Canada, many of the country’s public health measures are beginning to go away. The same thing is happening in the United States and in other nations. But the ongoing protests have really turned up the heat on progressive leadership and their suppressive mandates.

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