Ontario has no plans to reintroduce mask mandates even as 6th wave of COVID-19 underway – CBC

166 patients now requiring intensive care

Mar 31, 2022

The Ontario government has no plans to reintroduce mandatory masking or pause its reopening plans, even as a sixth wave of COVID-19 is underway in the province, Minister of Health Christine Elliott says.

Elliott spoke to reporters at a news conference in Toronto Thursday where she and other provincial officials announced new funding for North York General Hospital.

The minister was asked if there is a threshold of hospitalizations or ICU admissions at which the government might reintroduce restrictions such as masking or hold off on the further reopening at the end of April.

“At this point it doesn’t appear necessary that we need to take any further precautions,” Elliott said. But she said the province is relying on the advice of Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore.

“There’s really no surprise here,” she said, when asked about the increasing number of COVID-19-related hospitalizations, saying it was expected that key indicators would rise as restrictions were lifted.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-covid-march-31-2022-1.6403587