Here’s how Canada’s plans for vaccine passports compare to NYC’s announcement that proof of vaccination will soon be required in order to enter gyms, restaurants, movie theatres and other indoor spaces (including NYFW).
The one accessory guests can’t forget to stuff in their Bottega Veneta handbags at this fall’s New York Fashion Week is their vaccine card.
The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) is working with IMG this year to organize the live shows for the highly anticipated return to in-person NYFW. On August 2, IMG announced that all those in attendance must present proof of being fully vaccinated, as first reported by WWD.
Designers are responsible for enforcing the rule, which applies to staff, models, photographers, makeup artists, and anyone who will be present at the shows. Attendees who are under the age of 16 will be exempt from providing vaccine proof but will be required to show a negative COVID-19 test upon arrival. The rules will be strictly enforced, IMG said, and those who don’t comply will be denied entry.
Mask requirements and other COVID-related rules for NYFW will be determined in the coming weeks and outlined in a full health and safety plan to be released by the CFDA and IMG.
The news comes just after the announcement that New York City will require people to show proof of vaccination in order to enter gyms, restaurants, movie theatres and other indoor spaces. The rule will reportedly be phased in over several weeks in August and September and was established as part of a push to get vaccine rates up as the Delta variant leads to more infections across the U.S., and here in Canada.
NYC’s vaccine proof requirements comes amid growing speculations surrounding Canada’s own plan for vaccine documentation. While Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is implementing vaccine passports for international travel, a mandate around domestic vaccine passports remains a question mark. The federal government is allowing provinces to decide whether they will require vaccine passports, and as of now, the topic remains contentious. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said no to the concept, along with Alberta and Saskatchewan, while provinces like Quebec and Manitoba have announced plans to move forward with a domestic vaccine passport. Though still divided, data shows that more than half of Canadians are in support of domestic vaccine passports.
In a statement released on August 3, the CFDA encouraged “the broader industry to follow suit” with vaccine-proof requirements like the ones they’re enforcing at NYFW. “It is imperative to place the safety of guests and those working events in the highest priority,” the statement read. NYFW is scheduled to begin September 8 and run through September 12, followed by an in-person (*gasps*) Met Gala on the evening of September 13.
