High-ranking hospital and public health officials across southeastern Ontario made a public plea Wednesday in advance of the long weekend.
They are urging residents to do more to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Just days after the province’s chief medical officer declared the sixth wave of the pandemic, but ruled out reinstating a mask mandate, local health officials are out with some advice of their own just before the Easter long weekend.
They are highly recommending people mask up.
Wearing a three layer mask in all public indoor spaces is just one of over half a dozen calls to action in a new joint statement issued by medical officers and hospital chiefs of staff in the southeast region.
Dr. Michael Fitzpatrick of Kingston Health Sciences Centre said that the local effect is prevalent.
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“The virus is persisting in our community at higher levels than we had anticipated and that’s meant a significant number of admissions to hospital,” he said.
The health care leaders are also calling on people to get vaccinated, stay home when sick and isolate for five days after a positive COVID-19 test or symptoms develop.
The statement read, in part:
“Individuals can be infectious for up to 10 days, so it is important that for an additional five days you wear a mask when outside your home and avoid those who are most vulnerable and high-risk settings like hospitals and long-term care.”
The joint statement says these protective measures, while not mandatory, are strongly recommended, noting that hospitals are experiencing high patient volumes, coupled with critical staff shortages linked to COVID-19.
“What we’re trying to do is, basically, say can we please just hang tight for a little bit longer until the COVID levels in our community fall,” added Fitzpatrick.
The group did not go so far as to call on the province to reinstate any past COVID-19 measures.
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