Local medical officers OK if Ontario drops masking requirements

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Don’t expect too much opposition from local medical officers of health when the Ontario government announces that it is lifting masking requirements for indoor settings.

Some of the most cautious local medical officers are signalling that they, too, are OK with lifting masking requirements.

Toronto, Ottawa, and Peel Region all appear set to follow the province when it drops masking requirements — a move expected later this month.

The province has been hinting for several weeks that masking requirements would be lifted in the near future.

Back in January, a senior government official told the Toronto Sun that masking requirements would be gone before the end of March, and all through February, Dr. Kieran Moore, the chief medical officer, has hinted the same.

“Given the positive trends and the public health indicators and the high vaccination rate, we are actively reviewing all directives,” Moore said last week.

On Monday, Premier Doug Ford said nobody that he talks to likes wearing masks, but he’s waiting for the medical advice from Moore.

“Maybe after March break, when kids get back,” Ford said for when mask mandates might be lifted.

If that move happens, and a decision on masking could be announced in the next few days, neither Toronto’s Dr. Eileen de Villa nor Peel’s Dr. Lawrence Loh will stand in the way.

Both of these local medical officers have been among the most cautious regarding any reopening strategy, but on Wednesday, both indicated they were on board.

“We are at a new phase in this pandemic,” de Villa said in response to a question from the Sun.

“We know that these kinds of measures that we put into place to protect ourselves and protect our communities were always meant to be temporary.”

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De Villa said that she is in active discussion with provincial counterparts, meaning Moore, about when to lift such measures. While not committing to follow the provincial guidelines in full, de Villa did say that she would work with them.

“It makes sense to try to achieve consistency,” Mayor John Tory added.

In Peel Region, Loh said that masks have been an effective tool, but given current trends, he would not recommend extending his city’s masking bylaw when it expires on March 31.

“We know that the Omicron wave is starting to resolve here in Peel,” Loh said. “I’m willing to be led by the province at this point in time.”

Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said that he hoped masking would soon be dropped, especially for children who struggle with it.

“I really hope that our children in Ontario can get back to normal,” Brown said.

In Ottawa, the city dropped its masking bylaw last summer while continuing to follow provincial public health guidelines.