All of Ontario's COVID-19 measures -- together with restrictions on companies, masking guidelines and its vaccine certificates coverage -- are underneath evaluate, the province's prime physician mentioned Thursday.
Dr. Kieran Moore informed a information convention that a huge wave of Omicron variant circumstances has handed its peak. Primarily based on that development, he mentioned it is time to deal with resuming different actions within the well being system and society at massive.
"I believe a evaluate of all timelines is totally acceptable within the face of the bettering information in Ontario, in elimination of all public well being measures," Moore mentioned.
"We need to be clear to companies, clear to Ontarians, on what could be anticipated by way of the timelines."
Whereas stressing that the federal government has not made a last determination, Moore mentioned he can be reviewing all public measures and making suggestions to authorities about them as early as subsequent week.
Omicron variant circumstances spiked in December and January, overwhelming well being assets to the purpose that the province restricted entry to assessments, scaled again contact tracing efforts and slapped restrictions on companies, social gatherings, faculties and different settings.
Some restrictions began lifting weeks in the past, and now that hospitalizations, intensive care admissions and different virus indicators are bettering, the province mentioned Thursday it was lifting a directive that paused all surgical procedures deemed non-urgent.
Moore mentioned these procedures will resume progressively over the approaching weeks and months, taking native conditions into consideration because the well being system stays extra strained in some areas.
Restrictions on companies and social gatherings are set to additional roll again in levels on Feb. 21 and March. 14, however Moore mentioned these dates could possibly be reviewed subsequent week.
Additionally underneath evaluate are the timelines for ending all public well being measures together with masks guidelines and proof-of-vaccination necessities.
Ontario had deliberate to scrap all COVID-19 measures together with the vaccine passport system and masks necessities by the top of March. However the plan was paused when Omicron circumstances surged and there are presently no set dates to finish these measures.
Moore famous that masks could also be required in faculties longer than "at a societal stage," and mentioned they might be maintained in some public settings like transit till the province has "very low endemicity," with case averages decrease than 10 per 100,000 individuals.
His feedback got here a day after Well being Minister Christine Elliott mentioned the province wasn't instantly planning to raise masks guidelines or vaccine passport system, as Alberta and Saskatchewan have begun to do.
These coverage modifications in different provinces are unfolding as prolonged protests in opposition to vaccine mandates and different COVID-19 insurance policies proceed to rock Canada's capital metropolis and main border crossings, disrupting the move of commerce, transportation and residents' each day lives.
Moore mentioned Thursday that any suggestions to raise restrictions sooner can be made based mostly on developments in Ontario's COVID-19 information and denied that the protests would have any affect.
"With none exterior stress, as a result of I do not actually watch the information an excessive amount of, we're completely dedicated to eradicating public well being measures in a well timed, evidence-based, science-driven method," he mentioned.
Additionally on Thursday, the province introduced that extracurriculars together with high-contact sports activities like basketball and volleyball in addition to choir may resume in faculties after a brief pause in the course of the Omicron wave.
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Feb. 10, 2022.
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