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
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.