Ottawa Board of Health wants ability to issue letters of instruction regranted to local health units
Posted Apr 26, 2022 01:36:00 PM.
Ottawa Board of Health is requesting the Ontario government reinstate a COVID-19 measure that granted local medical officers the power to issue special letters of instruction.
As part of the Reopening Ontario Act (ROA), local health authorities were able to implement health and safety measures, including masking and addressing the impact of COVID-19 within a health unit region, but that power has expired under the act.
A motion to make the request was put forward by Capital Ward Coun. Shawn Menard at the Ottawa Board of Health meeting on Monday, April 25, and has been passed.
“Ottawa continues to see high rates of COVID-19 based on available monitoring indicators, and can anticipate future resurgences of COVID-19 as the variants remains present in the environment and population immunity may wane,” the motions reads.
The motions goes on to say province removed mask mandates in essential service settings, schools and indoor spaces prematurely, increasing the risk of transmission.
Menard says it's important for local public health units to have the tools needed to respond quickly to potential future resurgences or new variants of COVID-19, and the ability to implement safety measures helps accomplish that.
