QUEEN'S PARK — Ontario is allowing most of its remaining mandatory COVID-19 mask rules to lapse as of this weekend.
Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario's chief medical officer of health, made the announcement Wednesday.
"With high vaccination rates and Ontario's COVID-19 situation continuing to improve, most of the province's remaining provincial masking requirements, including on public transit, will expire as of 12:00 a.m. on June 11," Moore said in a statement.
To protect the most vulnerable, masks will still be required in long-term care and retirement homes.
Masks are also recommended in higher-risk congregate living settings, such as shelters and group homes.
Directives for health care workers and organizations will be replaced by Ministry of Health guidance, including for when masks should be worn in hospitals and other health care settings.
The Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre is expected to clarify on Thursday what this means for its patients, staff and visitors.
Dr. Moore's announcement stated that "while masking requirements are expiring, organizations may implement their own policies."
It also suggested that Ontarians should continue to wear a mask if they feel it is right for them, are at high risk for severe illness, recovering from COVID-19, have symptoms of the virus, or are a close contact of someone who's been infected.
It said health officials will continue to monitor for any significant changes in the situation, including new variants of concern.
