TORONTO — Ontario’s premier says he would have “no problem” extending the remaining mask mandates beyond the end of the month, if recommended by the province’s top doctor.
Premier Doug Ford made the comments Thursday at an unrelated news conference in Toronto.
The province has lifted mask mandates in most settings except those deemed high-risk like long-term care homes, hospitals and public transit.
Masking requirements for those settings are due to expire on April 27 but Dr. Kieran Moore, the province’s top doctor, has said he’s considering extending them amid the latest wave of COVID-19 cases.
Ford says he’d accept that recommendation if Moore makes it, because he want to protect vulnerable people.
His remarks came ahead of expected new modelling on COVID-19 from the province’s expert pandemic advisory group.
Ontario reported 1,392 people in hospital with COVID-19 on Wednesday and 177 in intensive care, compared with 1,332 hospitalizations and 182 people in ICUs the previous day.
There were 4,589 new infections reported, though access to PCR tests is limited and the scientific director of the COVID-19 Science Advisory Table has said wastewater surveillance suggests the province is seeing between 100,000 and 120,000 new daily cases.
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