The Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) says people can expect to be required to continue to wear masks in hospital settings “for some time,” despite the announcement that the mandate will be lifted in most public spaces across the province
In a statement issued Wednesday, OHA president and CEO Anthony Dale said this is a “patient safety measure.”
Dale said hospitals in Ontario will be “adopting and implementing certain protective measures, including requirements related to personal protective equipment and health care worker vaccination, into their own health and safety policies and procedures.”
The statement comes after the province announced it would be lifting the COVID-19 mask mandate in many indoor public settings beginning March 21.
According to the province, while masking requirements will be removed “in most places” later this month, the mandate will remain in place in some settings, including on public transit, in long-term care facilities in retirement homes and other health-care settings, in congregate care settings, in shelters and in jails.
The province’s plan says masking requirements in “all remaining settings” will be removed on April 27.
However, the plan released by the Ford government on Wednesday said that as directives are revoked, “individual organizations will continue to have the authority to keep requirements in place.”
In the statement Wednesday, Dale said hospitals are “committed to protecting patients, staff and visitors, and ensuring safety is a top priority.”
“The hospital sector routinely establishes policies and requirements regarding infection prevention and control, personal protective equipment, and healthcare worker vaccination,” Dale said. “Now, as the directives from the Chief Medical Officer of Health are lifted, hospitals will be incorporating various measures independently to ensure the safest environment possible.”
He said “in general,” hospitals in Ontario have already implemented additional vaccination requirements within their organizations “beyond the scope of the provincial directive.”
Dale said many hospitals have implemented COVID-19 vaccination requirements for new hires and staff appointments.
“Healthcare workers within Ontario’s hospitals are already required to show evidence of immunity for many communicable diseases, such as measles, rubella, varicella, and tuberculosis, at the time of hire–and there is no reason to treat the COVID-19 vaccine any differently.”
He said while hospitalizations and admissions to intensive care units have “dropped significantly” in the last few weeks, “the pandemic is not yet over.”
“Northern and parts of eastern Ontario continue to experience high levels of community spread placing significant pressure on local and regional hospitals,” he said. “Ontario’s health care system is still experiencing high levels of occupancy – even with additional capacity funded by the province – and COVID-19 remains a volatile and unpredictable disease.”
Dale said the decision to lift masking requirements later in March is a “judgment call.”
“Given the risks and uncertainties from COVID-19, particularly for vulnerable populations such as the unvaccinated and immunocompromised, responsibility for any consequences from this decision rests with the Government of Ontario,” he said.
On Wednesday, the province reported 751 people were receiving treatment for COVID-19 in an Ontario hospital and 241 were in intensive care.