Ottawa's top doctor urges employers to encourage mask-wearing

Ottawa's top doctor says she is discussing new COVID-19 restrictions with the Ontario government and is asking employers to encourage mask use in the workplace as COVID-19 continues to surge.

Medical officer of health Dr. Vera Etches says the COVID-19 wastewater data shows there is "more COVID-19 in the community than ever", and that she is speaking with the province about possibly bringing back mask mandates.

"It’s something that I’m thinking about every day and talking with the province about because the province is really where we’d like to see consistent action because it’s a province-wide resurgence," Dr. Etches told CTV News at Noon on Thursday.

"Those are conversations that will continue.”

Ontario lifted capacity limits in most indoor settings in February, while mask mandates were lifted on March 21. 

Etches is urging people to limit close contacts, socialize outdoors as much as possible and wants to see businesses implement mask mandates.

"I do support, very highly recommend, people wear masks indoors. I’d like to support employers to do their part to really encourage in their work environments that masks are still worn indoors," Etches said.

"And it’s our behaviour - it’s our connections with others that are so important that we want to be careful about how many people are we in close contact with is really what’s underneath this rapid rise in transmission.”

The Ontario Liberal Party called on the Ontario government to re-impose mask mandates in some public spaces during the sixth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Etches was asked if it was a mistake to lift mask mandates with the Omicron wave still circulating in Ottawa and across Ontario.

“I understand that we’re in a different situation than we were in December and January, now people have had, many of them, that third dose increasing our immunity, as well as the exposure to Omicron in January increased our immunity," Etches said.

"We are seeing through it’s not enough to stop a resurgence and so those key behaviours that we’ve been practicing for two years are still important."

Ottawa South Liberal MPP John Fraser notes Ontario's chief medical officer of health has not spoken publicly since the start of March.

"For a month, (Dr. Kieran Moore) hasn’t been available to the people of Ontario who look to him for advice and information and guidance. That’s not right," Fraser said.

"And it only leads me to believe, because Dr. Moore was also a local medical officer of health who understood the importance of communicating, that the government has essentially put a gag order on him."

FOURTH DOSES

Ottawa residents aged 60 and older are now eligible to book an appointment for a fourth dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The doses will be administered at a recommended interval of five months after the initial booster shot.

Etches says approximately 7,400 people booked an appointment for a fourth dose on Thursday morning.

"I encourage people to help their family members who are over 80, people in their 70s especially if they need assistance to book that is something that could be very useful to boost their immunity," Etches said.

As of Monday, 62 per cent of Ottawa residents aged 12 and older had received a third dose.

Etches is encouraging anyone to get a first, second or third dose immediately.

"We have appointments available. So until the end of month still thousands of appointments for people to drop in for a first, second or third dose.”

Laurie Ingram was able to book her fourth dose on Thursday.

"I think it’s safe. I believe the doctors and the scientist," Ingram said.

"I don’t want to make up my own ideas because I don’t have any medical or scientific background. And I want to be safe."

With files from CTV News Ottawa's Dave Charbonneau