Cold weather will put province's plan to ease restrictions to the test, head of science table says
Now that Ontario has laid out its staged approach to lifting remaining pandemic restrictions, the head of Ontario's science table says the plan will quickly be put to the test and cold weather will be the biggest challenge.
"This is a roadmap and I think it makes perfect sense, to give people a sense of what will happen during the next few months," said Dr. Peter Juni, Scientific Director of Ontario's Science Advisory Table.
Many experts are optimistic, saying fears of a fourth wave are in the past.
But Dr. Juni says the plan, aimed to get this province closer to normalcy, will be quickly put to the test.
"The only curveball that is impending obviously is the bad weather, people will move indoors more and what we need to see is how this impact epidemic growth in this province," he said.
"It's important to recognize the pandemic isn't over and if we act like it's over we could get burned," said Dr. Isaac Bogoch, infectious disease specialist.
First to go in Ontario are capacity limits for many businesses on Monday.
"It's all good news, we're still cautiously optimistic because it can all change in the blink of an eye, but feels good," said Johnny Bonney, assistant general manager at the King Eddy in the ByWard market.
Also included in the province's plan is a timeline to drop proof of vaccination requirements and the province's mask mandate too starting early next year.
And so, as Ontario takes this next step forward, the message from experts is to remain cautious with cold months ahead. They say it's a slow and cautious approach, and not a one way street. The province will continue to monitor the COVID-19 burden on communities and says it is ready to pivot if need be.
Dr. Juni said the goal of that with a bit of discipline we can all enjoy more liberties with fewer restrictions.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.