You won't want to throw away your face coverings in Ontario just yet. On Friday, the province announced that it would be extending mask mandates in some settings.
While all mask mandates were originally set to end on April 27, the government has now stated that residents will still need to mask up in high-risk settings like public transit, long-term care homes and hospitals.
These extended measures are expected to stay in place until June 11, 2022.
“To protect our progress in managing this latest wave, I am maintaining masking requirements in specific public settings where individuals who are, or may be, at increased risk of severe outcomes, are in close contact for extended periods of time,” said Dr. Kieran Moore, Chief Medical Officer of Health.
"Continuing to follow masking requirements and keeping up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations are the best ways we can prevent transmission and protect our friends, families, and our communities.”
The list of places where a mask will still need to be worn includes:
- "public transit;
- health care settings (e.g., hospitals, doctors’ offices, clinics that provide health care services, laboratories, specimen collection centres, and home and community care);
- long-term care homes;
- retirement homes;
- and shelters and other congregate care settings that provide care and services to medically and socially vulnerable individuals."
The call comes as the province continues to battle with its sixth wave of COVID-19. Earlier this month, it was reported that Ontario was seeing around 100,000 to 120,000 new COVID-19 cases per day.
Back in March, the government announced that Ontarians would no longer need to wear a mask in most settings, like restaurants, as of March 21. Currently, these regulations are still in place and residents don't need to mask up when entering the spots mentioned above.
