Ontario residents no longer need to wear masks indoors in most settings as the province is set to lift COVID-19 mask mandates on March 21st.
Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, announced today that COVID-19 mask mandates which required patrons to wear face masks to access indoor businesses like retail stores, and restaurants will no longer be in effect from March 21st.
Masking is also not required in schools after March break (March 14 to 18).
Masks are still required in high-risk settings like public transit, hospitals, health care settings, retirement homes, long-term care homes, jails, and congregate care settings.
Credit: Ontario.ca
Cohorting and daily on-site screening in schools, passive screening, safety plans and regulatory requirements for businesses will also be removed on March 21st.
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Dr. Moore is recommending those who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 and those who are at high risk of infection to continue wearing a mask.
He cautioned that mask mandates may return if COVID-19 cases surge in future or if a new variant emerges.
In addition to this, Dr. Moore said mandatory vaccination policies for employees in long-term care homes and unvaccinated workers in hospitals and other high-risk healthcare settings will no longer have to partake in regular rapid testing effective March 14th.
Effective April 27th, mask requirements will be removed in all remaining settings and all remaining health-care directives will be lifted.
Credit: Ontario.ca
Credit: Ontario.ca
Ontario is also changing isolation requirements after COVID-19 exposure. Household members of a person infected with COVID-19 need not isolate if they recovered from COVID-19 in the last 90 days or they are fully immunized and boosted against COVID-19.
Credit: Ontario.ca
Ontario says the decision for lifting mandates and changes to isolation requirements is due to declining hospitalizations, and improvement of key public health indicators.