The Ontario government has extended its COVID-19 vaccine passport program beyond Jan. 17, 2022, the original scheduled date to start phasing out the restrictions, while introducing stricter public health measures for verifying medical exemptions. Announced by Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott and Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, the new measures come ahead of the winter season during which COVID-19 infection cases and related variants are expected to increase. “The actions we take today … will help reduce the risk of transmission during the winter months and further encourage every eligible Ontarian to get their shot,” Moore said. “While we are currently experiencing an expected increase in Delta cases, cases related to the Omicron variant are expected to continue to rise in Ontario in the coming weeks.” On Jan. 4, individuals will be required to use an enhanced vaccine certificate with a QR code and the Verify …