The scientific director of the province’s pandemic advisory panel would like to have seen masking rules kept in high-risk settings.

”This is a judgment call because there isn’t a hard scientific number to say that today, on a Monday, it’s needed whereas the next day, Tuesday, suddenly it’s not required anymore.  It’s not how this part of pandemic decision making works,” Dr. Fahad Razak told Zoomer Radio’s ”Fight Back” with Libby Znaimer.

”There’s a lot of variables being considered.  Things like the wastewater signal, how many people are in hospitals, general strain on the healthcare system,” he explained.

”Many healthcare workers, and people who work in the system, including myself, would have liked to see this extended a little while longer.  That said it had to come off probably at some point, and again when it occurs is to the judgment of the chief medical officer of health.” 

Mask mandates on public transit and in most health settings will expire as scheduled this weekend, with the exception of long-term care and retirement homes. 

The policy will also remain for staff and visitors to many GTA hospitals including, the University Health Network, Women’s College, Sick Kids, Humber River, Sunnybrook, North York General,  Mackenzie Health … Cortolucci Vaughan and Lakeridge Health.