Don't call 911 to report vaccine card violations, B.C. officials remind businesses
B.C.'s largest emergency dispatch operator says it has seen "a small number of calls" related to the province's vaccine card system since it came into effect on Monday, Sept. 13, and it's reminding businesses and members of the public not to call 911 unless there's an immediate risk to public safety.
E-Comm, which handles the vast majority of 911 calls in B.C., said most of the vaccine-card-related calls it's received have been from businesses looking to report people who were unwilling to provide their cards.
"It’s important to remember that 911 is for emergency situations where life or property is in jeopardy," a spokesperson for E-Comm said in an email to CTV News Vancouver.
"Unless there is an immediate risk to public safety, such as someone causing a disturbance or acting aggressively, non-compliance related to immunization records should not be reported on emergency lines."
The dispatcher said it expected to see an increase in calls about vaccine card non-compliance over the weekend, when restaurants and bars are typically busier.
Since Sept. 13, B.C. residents have been required to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 in order to patronize certain non-essential businesses and events.
Until Sept. 27, the paper immunization record provided at a B.C. vaccination clinic is acceptable, but after that date, residents will have to show their unique vaccine QR code, along with a piece of photo ID.
For now, proof of a first dose of vaccine is sufficient to gain entry into the designated areas. By Oct. 24, proof of full vaccination will be required.
Protests have been held across the province since the vaccine card system was announced, and thousands gathered at the Vancouver Art Gallery on Saturday for the latest round of demonstrations.
As of Friday, 86.5 per cent of eligible B.C. residents age 12 or older had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 78.9 per cent had received both doses.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
ByteDance prefers TikTok shutdown in U.S. if legal options fail, Reuters sources say
TikTok owner ByteDance would prefer to shut down its loss-making app rather than sell it if the Chinese company exhausts all legal options to fight legislation to ban the platform from app stores in the U.S., four sources said.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.