Toronto doctor stripped of licence for selling fake COVID-19 exemptions

A Toronto doctor has lost her medical licence after issuing hundreds of COVID-19 exemption letters for profit. Celeste Jean Thirlwell charged patients up to $300 each, earning over £427,500 in just three months. A disciplinary tribunal ruled her actions were unprofessional and put public health at risk. Thirlwell, a McMaster University graduate with no training in immunology or public health, wrote 1,475 exemption letters between 2021 and 2022. These allowed patients to avoid vaccination, mask-wearing, and testing requirements. An independent review later found only two of her letters met the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario's (CPSO) guidelines.

The tribunal described her conduct as 'dishonourable and unprofessional', stating she exposed patients and the wider community to unnecessary harm. Thirlwell did not attend the hearing or respond to requests for comment. The disciplinary panel revoked her licence with immediate effect. She was also ordered to pay £10,370 in legal costs to the CPSO. The case, recorded as *College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario v. Thirlwell* (2026 ONPSDT 5), did not disclose further enforcement actions by the College.

Thirlwell's licence revocation prevents her from practising medicine in Ontario. The tribunal's ruling highlights the financial exploitation of exemption policies during the pandemic. No additional measures to address broader public health risks were detailed in the decision.