Algoma health, school officials prepare for dropping mask mandates
Algoma health, school officials prepare for dropping mask mandates
It's been two years since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. And with mask mandates set to come down in Ontario on March 21 – the Monday following March Break – Algoma Public Health and the Algoma District School Board are preparing for the change.
Dr. John Tuinema, Algoma's acting medical officer of health in February after Dr. Jenifer Loo went on maternity leave, said we are in a much different spot today regarding COVID-19 than we were at the start of the pandemic.
"We were confronted with a virus that we knew very little about," he said. "We did not have a vaccine for it. We weren't sure which measures were going to work in order to control spread. And we needed to quickly develop strategies and learn a lot in a very short period of time."
While mask mandates are being eliminated, Tuinema acknowledges some people might not be ready for that.
"There's a lot of considerations and that can be a difficult choice," he said. "That said, it's important to remember masking isn't the only protection we have. There's still a number of things people can do to help keep themselves safe. Chiefly among them, vaccination."
Meantime, the Algoma District School Board is asking students to consider wearing a mask beyond March 21.
"We will have people very excited to not have masks at school, we'll have some who are not as happy," said Lucia Reece, the school board's superintendent of education. "(We are) really wanting to promote the notion of choice. And given that we're aware that lots of people will be travelling over March Break, that we would just encourage people to continue (wearing a mask) for two weeks after."
Reece hopes people will respect each other's choices about masks.
"Part of our messaging to families is reminding everyone to be kind so that students and staff know that there's choice and that everyone feels comfortable coming to our schools and our facilities," she said.
The board will be polling parents on whether they would like to see a continuation of the hybrid-learning model and allowing students to study from home if they choose to do that, Reece added.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada pledges funds as G7 develops response to famine fallout from Russian invasion
Canada pledged $50 million to prevent Ukrainian grain from going to waste on Sunday as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau committed to work with G7 nations on further measures to halt the famine caused by the Russian invasion of the embattled country.

Connecting Indigenous inmates to their culture: Grand Chief performs at Manitoba prison
Behind prison walls, National Indigenous People's Day was celebrated this month, with inmates at a Manitoba federal prison granted access to music, drumming and sharing circles — positive steps forward to reconnect Indigenous inmates with their culture and rehabilitate a group that is incarcerated at a disproportionate rate.
Hundreds of thousands celebrate return of Toronto Pride parade to downtown streets
Hundreds of thousands of people lined the streets of downtown Toronto on Sunday as the city's Pride parade returned for the first time in two years.
BREAKING | Colorado Avalanche win Stanley Cup, beat Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in Game 6
Colorado Avalanche win the 2022 Stanley Cup, beating two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in Game 6.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine a 'turning point' in world history: defence chief
Canada's chief of defence says Russia's invasion of Ukraine is going to change the course of history.
Halifax scientists have a plan to capture carbon from the atmosphere using mining materials
A Dalhousie University team of scientists — in a joint venture with a company called Planetary Technologies — is now in the next phase of their research to use the power of the ocean to one day reduce the world’s carbon levels.
U.S. Ambassador Cohen on inflation, the convoy protests, abortion rights and gun control
David Cohen has been the United States' Ambassador to Canada since November 2021, and in the time since, both Canada and the United States have experienced a series of shared challenges. In an interview at his official residence in Ottawa, Cohen opens up about the state of the relationship.
Trump's lasting legacy grows as U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe
The abortion decision in the U.S. marked the apex in a week that reinforced former U.S. President Donald Trump's ongoing impact in Washington more than a year and a half after he exited the White House.
Trudeau mocks 'bare-chested horseback riding' Putin as G7 leaders meet in Germany
Russian President Valdimir Putin was a target of mockery by leaders of the Group of Seven, as they sat around a table Sunday, commencing their three-day summit in Bavarian Alps, Germany.