TORONTO – Ontario’s chief medical officer of health says he will be recommending that the province extend remaining mask mandates in settings such as hospitals, long-term care and public transit for another four weeks.
Dr. Kieran Moore told The Canadian Press in an interview today that he will be submitting that proposal to the government, and he believes it will help protect people living and working in vulnerable sectors through the worst of the sixth wave.
Premier Doug Ford said earlier today he would have “no problem” extending the remaining mask mandates beyond the current expiry date of April 27 if that’s what Moore recommends.
The comments come as data from the province’s pandemic advisers suggest that COVID-19 transmission may have peaked, but it’s too soon to say for sure.
The Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table’s latest modelling, released today, notes that the province is “well into wave six of the pandemic” spurred by the infectious BA.2 Omicron subvariant, waning immunity and the lifting of most public health measures.
The expert group says it’s unclear if the apparent crest in cases during the sixth wave will be followed by an increase, a decrease or a continued plateau after the long weekend.
(The Canadian Press)