No current plans for resumption of masking mandates, says WDGPH
No current plans for resumption of masking mandates, says WDGPH
No current plans for resumption of masking mandates, says WDGPH
As Ontario enters the seventh wave of COVID-19, local health officials say that doesn’t necessarily mean masking mandates will return.
Speaking to CTV News on Wednesday, Dr. Matthew Tenenbaum, associate medical officer of health with Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health (WDGPH), said given the phase of the pandemic we are in compared to last year, he “wouldn’t take it as a given we will see a return of those mandates.”
“I suppose the possibility is always there, it’s something that I know is on the radar for provincial colleagues and as well as for us locally,” said Tenenbaum. “The question is always how big is the threat, and how to we develop a response that proportional, recognizing all the other tools in our tool belt. I know that if there is a significant risk of health system impact or significant risk of really out of control transmission, masking mandates remain very much a possibility.”
Health officials say hospitalizations and wastewater data are slowly creeping upwards which can be the signal of a new wave.
Public health says this wave is largely driven by the ba.5 subvariant of omicron, which is considered the dominant strain in Ontario.
In an email to CTV News, Region of Waterloo Public Health spokesperson Sharon Ord said: “Key indicators such as the wastewater signal and test positivity rate are showing an increase in COVID-19 activity in the region and across the province. Although the wastewater signal (up to June 25, 2022) is dominated by Omicron sub-variant BA.2.12.1, the BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants are increasing in Waterloo Region.”
Public Health said they will continue to monitor outbreaks and case trends over time.
“Our community’s high levels of immunity from vaccination and infection, as well as additional layers of protection that members of the community can add on during periods of higher risk e.g. masking in indoor/crowded environments, ensuring good ventilation, etc., have given all of us the tools to continue to reduce the impact of the virus,” said Ord.
American actor Anne Heche will be taken of life support on Sunday, nine days after suffering severe injuries in a fiery car crash, as a compatible person was found to receive her donated organs, a spokesperson said.
FBI testing of the gun used in the fatal shooting on the movie set of 'Rust' found that the weapon handled by actor Alec Baldwin could not be fired without pulling the trigger while the gun was cocked, according to a newly released forensics report.
Republicans stepped up calls on Sunday for the release of an FBI affidavit showing the underlying justification for its seizure of documents at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home.
A new study is offering a dire prediction for the U.S. state of California, where scientists say catastrophic flooding could become twice as likely in the future due to the effects of climate change.
A new study suggests that Antarctica’s ice shelves may be melting faster than previously believed, which is causing sea levels to rise at a more rapid pace and accelerating the dangers of climate change.
A fire ripped through a packed Coptic Orthodox church during morning services in Egypt's capital on Sunday, quickly filling it with thick black smoke and killing 41 worshippers, including at least 15 children.
Authorities in Norway said Sunday they have euthanized a walrus that had drawn crowds of spectators in the Oslo Fjord after concluding that it posed a risk to humans.
About 4,000 beagles are looking for homes after animal rescue organizations started removing them from a Virginia facility that bred them to be sold to laboratories for drug experiments.
Police arrested three Arizona parents, shocking two of them with stun guns, as they tried to force their way into a school that police locked down Friday after an armed man was seen trying to get on campus, authorities said.
Multiple police agencies – including the London Police Service -- are looking for a fugitive with ties to London and the GTA who is wanted on multiple alleged weapons charges.
A LaSalle, Ont., resident says he’s not happy with how long it took for Essex Powerlines to provide details on a recent outage that left nearly 1,000 properties in LaSalle without power.
It was a sea of people wearing green and white at the James Jerome Sports Complex Sunday morning as Sudburians gathered to mark Pakistan Independence Day. This is the 75th anniversary of the country's independence from British colonial rule.
The Flour Mill Community Farm’s 6th annual Open Farm is an opportunity for the community to tour the space, sample some of the farm’s produce and enjoy local musical entertainment live.
A five-kilometre section of the Queensway is expected to reopen in time for the Monday morning commute, after the busy highway was closed over the weekend for construction.
The cost of renting a home in Ontario rose more than almost every other province in Canada last month, according to a new national analysis of online listings.
As the CNE readies to open this Friday, one Toronto MPP is expressing concerns about safety possibly being compromised at the 18-day fair due to ride and equipment inspectors being on strike.
Candidates in more than a dozen councillor and school trustee races in Toronto could be formally elected in a week’s time, unless some last-minute challengers step forward.
Quebec's new language law has dozens of municipalities in the province shoring up their bilingual status, with few considering giving up the right to serve their citizens in both English and French.
Voters interested in the Conservative Party of Quebec (PCQ) may be disappointed by its platform, announced Sunday in Drummondville, as it is silent on many issues and vague on many others.
A diving accident at 14-years-old left Brian Parker paralyzed from the chest down. Now at age 49, he's without the person who was caring for him full-time until just last week, after his 68-year-old mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.
The German government on Friday issued a statement confirming the agreement will be signed Aug. 23 in Stephenville, where a Newfoundland based company plans to build a zero-emission plant that will use wind energy to produce hydrogen for export.
Jason Kenney and United Conservative Party leadership hopeful Danielle Smith traded words about her proposed sovereignty act this weekend, with Smith saying the premier should not interfere in the contest.
Jason Kenney and United Conservative Party leadership hopeful Danielle Smith traded words about her proposed sovereignty act this weekend, with Smith saying the premier should not interfere in the contest.
Three people were rescued and dozens more have been displaced after a third-alarm blaze at a Burnaby apartment complex in the early hours of Sunday morning, according to the fire department.
A B.C. girl is making her voice acting debut in a new animated Netflix series, saying she's excited that they chose her to bring the spunky, South Asian lead to life.
