Ontario Medical Officer of Health Dr. Keiren Moore continues to speak positively about a time when the compulsory mask order will be lifted. But during his regular press briefing Thursday he declined to set a date. Dr Moore said he expects mask requirements will end “simultaneously” across most areas (stores and schools) when it is safe to do so, rather than on a piecemeal basis. Quebec has announced a plan to lift the mask mandate in elementary and secondary school classrooms by March 14 en route to eventually scrapping it for other indoor public settings as well. Moore said Ontario will instead look to lift the mandate entirely, with exceptions likely to be made for certain high-risk settings like public transit and hospitals where masks have provided a “safety net.”
