Two days before the second anniversary of the declaration of the coronavirus pandemic, Ontario has announced the lifting of mask mandates from most indoor settings after March break.
Ontario’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore made the announcement at a media conference at Queen’s Park on Wednesday (March 9), in what was his final regularly scheduled pandemic media update, stating that key public health indicators are stable or continuing to improve.
“With the peak of omicron behind us, Ontario has been able to cautiously and gradually move through its reopening milestones,” Dr. Moore said. “We are now learning to live with and manage COVID-19 for the long term. This necessitates a shift to a more balanced response to the pandemic, and changes are being made with respect to the province pandemic response to reflect a longer-term approach.”
Dr. Moore announced face masks will no longer be required for most indoor settings as of Monday, March 21st — this includes stores, restaurants, schools, and childcare settings. The only exception will be public transit, healthcare settings, long-term care homes, and high-risk congregate care settings.
“Removing the mask mandate does not mean the risk is gone — COVID-19 transmission is still occurring across the province and masks can help protect you and others from becoming infected with COVID-19,” Dr. Moore said, adding that he expects to see cases and hospitalizations increase “slightly” as Ontarians increasingly interact with one another.
“However, thanks to our high vaccination rates and natural immunity that is developing, as well as the arrival of other therapeutics and anti-virals, Ontario has the tools necessary to manage the impacts of this virus.”
Dr. Moore strongly recommended that people most vulnerable to the virus continue to wear a mask, and asked Ontarians to respect the masking requirements that maintain in place, including federal requirements for returning international travellers.
He also appealed to Ontarians to respect those who choose to continue to wear masks after the requirement has been lifted.
“As a society, I am asking that we remain kind, considerate, and respectful towards those who continue to choose to wear a mask,” he said.
At an earlier local healthcare announcement in Brantford, Premier Doug Ford said people can choose to continue to wear a mask if they wish.
“It’s going to be up to the people of Ontario,” Ford said. “If you want to keep your mask on, keep it on. If you want to take it off, take it off. But we have to move forward from this. People are exhausted.”
Dr. Moore noted that Ontarians should be prepared to resume mask wearing if a new variant of concern emerges, or in the winter months when COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses are likely to recirculate, especially if they being to affect the health care system again.
“If we’re seeing multiple different viruses circulating … we would make recommendations to mask at that time if we see an increasing burden on the hospital system,” Dr. Moore said. “We may move from a recommendation to a mandate for masking, but that would follow data, it would follow the surveillance, the circulation of those viruses, and the impact on the hospital before we’d ever make a recommendation to mandate (for masking).”
When asked by a reporter whether he would personally choose to continue to wear a mask after the mandate is lifted, Dr. Moore said he would not wear a mask in outdoor settings, but would continue to do so in some indoor settings.
“If I go to a busy, busy box store, I’ll put my mask on in those settings,” Dr. Moore said. “I don’t want to give away any of my personal health information, but I’ll do my individual risk assessment and if I’m going into that type of environment, where you’re not going to have distancing, other people are not wearing masks, at an individual level I’ll continue (to wear a mask).”
When the reporter questioned why Dr. Moore would choose to continue to wear a mask, given that he is “telling 15 million Ontarians it is safe to remove your mask,” Dr. Moore replied that it is a personal choice.
“The risk is continuing to diminish, but for some individuals that may be at risk to admission to hospital, or who have a negative impact from COVID-19, that’s their decision and choice to make.”
Dr. Moore also announced changes to isolation requirements, case and contact management, and changes to COVID-19 data reporting. Details of the changes are provided in a technical media briefing slide desk from the Ministry of Health, available below.
PDF: Living with and Managing COVID-19 – Ministry of Health
Living with and Managing COVID-19 - Ministry of Health
This original version of this story has been updated with details from Dr. Moore’s media briefing.
