CHEO lifts mandatory masking rules in hallways, cafeterias and elevators
Patients and visitors at CHEO are no longer required to wear a mask in public areas and non-clinical areas, such as hallways, elevators and cafeterias.
CHEO has implemented new masking guidelines, creating two zones for masking at the children's hospital in Ottawa.
Effective June 1, masks will still be mandatory in all clinical and waiting areas at CHEO.
Masks will be recommended in all other public areas and non-clinical areas at CHEO, including hallways, elevators, cafeterias and coffee shops.
CHEO says the new masking guidelines for non-peak viral season come after "careful consideration and consultation" with experts in infectious diseases and public health measures.
"Masks work. They help prevent the spread of illness. And that matters at CHEO because we care for children who are extremely vulnerable to illnesses like flu, RSV and COVID-19," CHEO says on its website.
CHEO says the decision to change the masking guidelines was "not made lightly."
"Given the importance we place on protecting our staff and the children and youth we care for, particularly those whose medical conditions leave them more vulnerable to infection."
CHEO notes the COVID-19 wastewater markers have stabilized and the number of COVID-19 outbreaks has declined.
The hospital will still screen staff, medical staff and visitors for viral illness.
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.
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.
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.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestorsÂ
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
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.
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.
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.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.