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.
Currently, in Waterloo region there are 275 active cases with 15 people in hospital. There are also 10 COVID-19 outbreaks according to the public health dashboard.
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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.