Ontario is lifting mandatory mask mandate provincewide in most settings on March 21 with a few exceptions

TORONTO — Today, Dr. Kieran Moore, Chief Medical Officer of Health held a historical press conference to say the province is lifting its mandatory mask mandate in most settings including schools on March 21, for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began. There will be some exceptions however, including public transit, and other high risk setting like health care locations and long-term care homes.

Masks will still need to be worn in Ontario on public transit including the TTC and by all patients, residents, visitors and staff in hospitals, and other care centres as well as within the long-term care system and at jails until at least April 27.

“With continued improvement in trends, Ontario will remove the mandatory masking requirement for most settings on March 21, with the exception of select settings such as public transit, health care settings, long-term care homes and congregate care settings,” said Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer.

Dr. Moore also was very quick to assert that the loosening of most restrictions does not signal that COVID-19 has disappeared or that the pandemic is over, “it does mean that we have come to a place where we know what we need to do to manage this virus and to keep each other safe,” he said.

Ontario’s top doctor also said, “With the peak of Omicron behind us, Ontario has been able to cautiously and gradually move through its reopening milestones The majority of public health and workplace safety measures have now been lifted, and key public health indicators continue to improve or remain stable.”

Moore emphasized that wearing a mask will now become a choice for the population and that those who want to continue wearing masks should not be condemned for it.”As a society, we must remain kind, considerate and respectful toward those who continue wearing a mask.,” said Dr. Moore.

With Toronto’s mask bylaw bylaw not set to expire until April 8 city council today is considering Toronto Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa’s recommendation that the City of Toronto should remove its mask bylaw at the same time as the province, coinciding with the end of March Break.

Toronto’s mask bylaw has been in effect since July, 7 2020 which was actually set in place before the province’s later that month.

He also said that “We must also expect indicators, such as cases and hospitalizations, to increase slightly as Ontarians increasingly interact with one another. However, thanks to our high vaccination rates and natural immunity, as well as the arrival of antivirals, Ontario has the tools necessary to manage the impact of the virus.

Dr. We need to remain vigilant. We need to stay home when sick. And, most importantly, we need to get vaccinated and boosted.

Vaccination is the best protection against COVID-19 and the best protection for the progress we have made.”

“I want to thank Ontarians for their ongoing resilience and commitment to community as we navigated this global pandemic together. Your sacrifices and collective actions have made a difference,” said Dr. Kieran Moore.

Today’s presser was also marked the last of the provinces’s regular weekly COVID-19 press conferences.

The lifting of the last mandate in most settings is also in line with other provinces including Alberta, which dropped its mask mandate on March 1 while Quebec announced it is ending the need for masking in school classrooms on March 7.

Learn how Ontario intends to lift the remaining public health and workplace safety measures and learn to manage COVID-19 for the long-term.

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