Manitoba will offer new vaccine proof for travellers starting Monday

Manitobans will be offered new standardized proof of vaccination for international travellers that will meet pan-Canadian standardsstarting next Monday, Premier Kelvin Goertzen says.

That credential will supplementthe province's existing immunization card, which has been in place for months, Goertzen said in an emailed statement on Thursday.

"Given Manitoba's leadership on this initiative, we have been actively working with our federal-provincial-territorial partners to support the safe resumption of travel within Canada and abroad for those who are fully vaccinated," the statementsaid.

"As such, in addition to our immunization card, Manitoba will be offering a vaccination credential which will be available starting Oct. 25 that meets the requirements of the pan-Canadian standard for Manitobans planning international or domestic travel by air or rail."

On Thursday, federal government officials, speaking on background during a briefing, said they worked with the provinces to come up with a "pan-Canadian" format for proof of vaccination.

Provinces will issue the standardizedproof of COVID-19 vaccination, which will includethe holder's name and birth date, their vaccination status and dates of vaccination, and a QR code that includes the vaccination history.

The documentation wasdesigned with what the government calls a "common look" featuringthe government of Canadalogo and the Canadian flag.

In Manitoba, that credential will be a QR code needed for air and rail travel, a spokesperson for Goertzen said. Manitoba will keep using its existingimmunization cardwithin the province.

Manitoba is one of only a handful of regions along with Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island that hadn't already implemented the new system.

Every province and territory across Canada has agreed to issue the accepted credentials ahead of the winter holiday season, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.

"Not every province has yet delivered on that but I know they are all working very quickly and should resolve that in the weeks to come," Trudeau said at a news conference.