Ontario drops vaccine proof, protests persist

By ROB GILLIES and TED SHAFFREY
Associated Press

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Ontario’s premier announced Monday that Canada’s most populous province will lift its COVID-19 proof of vaccination requirements in two weeks– not because of the protests that have blocked the border and paralyzed Ottawa, but because “it is safe to do so.” The busiest U.S.-Canada border crossing, meanwhile, was open Monday after protesters demonstrating against COVID-19 measures blocked it for nearly a week, but a larger protest in the capital, Ottawa, persisted as city residents seethed over authorities’ inability to reclaim the streets. Ontario Premier Doug Ford says his government will lift its COVID-19 proof of vaccination requirements on March 1. Ford also says he would support Trudeau’s government if it proposes further measures to quell the protests.