Ford government reportedly considering quicker reopening, Dr. Moore to hold briefing today

With several provinces announcing they are dropping COVID-19 health restrictions — there is mounting pressure for the Ford government to follow suit.

Health Minister Christine Elliott said Wednesday that Ontario will not follow the lead of other jurisdictions that have already begun lifting proof-of-vaccination rules and intend to end masking rules soon.

However, multiple sources tell the CBC that the Ministry of Health is looking at options for cabinet to speed up the reopening timeline and lift some capacity restrictions earlier than currently scheduled.

Under the current guidelines further measures would be lifted on February 21, when all capacity limits at indoor settings where proof of vaccination is required would be lifted and large spectator venues could return to 50 per cent capacity. Remaining capacity limits are set to be lifted on March 14.

Elliott didn’t shed any light as to when vaccine mandates or masking could end, but she did say the province expects mask rules to remain in place for “some time.”

“We have no plans currently to drop the passport vaccination situation or masking. We believe that masking is going to be important for some time to come,” Elliott said at a news conference in Kitchener.

“We always said that we were going to take a very cautious, phased, prudent approach to opening up and that’s the path that we’re going to follow.”

Brampton’s mayor Patrick Brown has called on the province to speed up the reopening process.

“It hasn’t caused repercussions on the health care system by having children in school, and I think we really need to look at other aspects of this lockdown that continue to have repercussions in society that are unwarranted,” Brown said.

Ontario’s top doctor is set to hold a pandemic briefing on Thursday. The Toronto Star is reporting that Dr. Kieran Moore will announce extracurricular activities can return to schools immediately.

Moore, along with Premier Doug Ford, has shifted his pandemic messaging in recent weeks, suggesting it’s time for Ontarians to “learn to live” with the virus. During his briefing last week, Moore said masking will likely be the last measure to go and said the province will need to reassess the vaccine passport system moving forward.

“We have to decide as a society how many public health measures we want to just recommend and/or maintain in a legal fashion to limit the spread of the viruses,” he said. “I think that discussion should happen soon.”

Moore’s news conference this week comes a day after the province began making rapid test kits available for free at grocery stores, pharmacies and other sites.

Elliott said expanding access to the tests is part of Ontario’s plan to roll back COVID-19 restrictions in stages.

“As we continue to carefully ease public health measures, rapid tests are providing another layer of protection and offer the public an additional tool to confidently do the things they love, like visiting family or dining at their favourite local restaurant,” said Elliott.

Ontario’s gradual reopening plan began last week with many businesses welcoming back patrons for the first time in nearly a month. Indoor dining at restaurants and bars, gyms and cinemas reopened at 50 per cent capacity after being shuttered due to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.

The province’s COVID-19 Science Advisory Table released new pandemic modelling last week and suggest the easing of restrictions will contribute to an increased spread of the virus. The table predicted hospitalizations, which have been on the decline in recent weeks, will rebound and continue at a prolonged peak through February and March.

Alberta removed vaccine passports to access non-essential businesses on Wednesday and on Monday it will remove a mask requirement for children under 12.

Saskatchewan became the first province in Canada to announce it was removing all COVID-19 measures and will no longer require that people provide vaccine passports starting Monday. It is also ending its indoor mask mandate at the end of the month.

Québec will loosen specific public health measures across the province by March 14, except for mask mandates and the vaccine passport system.

– With files from The Canadian Press