Windsor-Essex MOH concerned over possible mask mandate removal

The acting medical officer of health for Windsor-Essex is expressing concern regarding the province's plan to drop its mask mandate, which could happen by the end of March.

“Our experience with the pandemic has been unpredictable," says acting MOH Dr. Shanker Nesathurai with the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit.

That's why the acting medical officer of health for Windsor-Essex says he's cautious about the province's plan to drop its mask mandate.

"There have been times we thought we had less activity and that was followed by times of greater activity," he says. "We'll be monitoring the data in the coming weeks. The trends look so good that we can anticipate if the trends continue removing mass mandatory masking."

Ontario's chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore told reporters on March 4 that mask mandates will be removed by the end of the month if positive public health trends continue.

Despite signs suggesting that the more infectious Omicron sub-variant BA.2 is well on its way to becoming most dominant.

Moore says there's no evidence that the variant is more infectious than previous strains.

"We've had declining rates from 4000, down to around 800 Ontarians in hospital now, testing positive with COVID-19,” he says. “But it does not mean the risk is gone."

WECHU says it will wait for further guidance from the province when it comes to masking in Windsor-Essex.

Higher-risk populations are advised to continue wearing a face covering, like those in long-term care or hospitals.

"I think a hospital, by definition, has patients and patients are vulnerable,” says Nesathurai. “And anything that we can do to protect the health of people that are already sick in the hospital, we should take measures to try to protect their health."

It's not just those in hospital.

The health unit says it expects many people to continue masking for their personal health well after the province drops its mandate.

With files from CTV Windsor's Sanjay Maru.