Ontario lifts mask mandates weeks after eliminating vaccine passports

Mar 16, 2022 | News

Sarah Utong is her mother’s primary care giver, ensuring her mother is well taken care of, fed, and supported. Since the arrival of the COVID-19 virus, Utong said life just has not been the same.

The fear that she could contract the illness and transfer it to her mom crosses her mind every day, she said.

Society may be up and ready to get back to normal life prior to COVID-19, but Utong said that’s just not her reality.

Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Kieran Moore announced March 9 that Ontario will scrap most of its mask mandates, including for gyms, restaurants, bars and schools, by March 21.

The news comes just a couple of weeks after vaccination passports no longer became mandatory to enter businesses and establishments.

Many people are excited to socialize and interact normally, but others are saying the transition is happening too soon.

The province’s Science Table is expected to release a COVID-19 modelling projections on March 17.

Utong’s mother, who has been diagnosed with stomach cancer, said she worries that lifting mask mandates will give people a reason to believe COVID-19 is no longer a societal issue.

Masks may no longer be mandatory, but Moore said Ontarians and businesses can choose whether or not they want to keep wearing masks.

Removing the mask mandates comes after reports of decreasing rates of the virus became prevalent amongst Ontarians, Moore said.

Ontarians will be free to interact without masks, but Moore said if spikes in cases of COVID-19 increase, Ontarians should be prepared for the mandates to be reinstated.

Dr. Craig Jenne, associate professor of Microbiology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases at the University of Calgary, said to better ensure safety, Canadians should make sure their vaccinations are up to date. The booster shot has proven highly effective.

Jenne said COVID-19 is a fixed virus meaning its always changing. By removing mask mandates, the country may see a spike in cases, but that can be counteractive with enhanced vaccination, he said.

Jenne said the virus is not something that should now be disregarded, but without mask mandates, Ontarians can measure their safety on their own terms.

Masking mandates may have seemed useless to many, but Utong said it was the last safety measure against the virus that made her feel safe.

“Vaccine passports were fabricated by many people leaving masks as our only form of true protection,” she said. “I’m not saying we should never not be able to go back to life without a mask but the transition seems senseless.”

Moore urgedthose who are highly immunocompromised to still take the safety measures needed to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.

Ontarians looking for more information regarding COVID-19 vaccination can contact the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre at 1-833-943-3900.