‘We have to learn to live with it’: Ontario outlines loosening of COVID-19 restrictions

Ontario’s top doctor says it’s time for a balanced response to reopening and managing COVID-19, noting we’re going to have to learn to live with the virus.

“We have to understand with Omicron that we can’t eliminate this threat, in fact, we have to learn to live with it,” said Moore while outlining the new public health measures that are set to take effect on Monday.

“We’ve let our lives be controlled for the last two years in a significant amount of fear and now we’re going to have to change some of that thinking.”

Under the loosened restrictions, Ontarians will no longer be legally required to work from home and businesses will no longer be required to keep a log of customers for contact tracing purposes.

Indoor social gathering limits are set to increase from five to 10 while outdoor gatherings will be limited to 25 people, and restaurants will be able to reopen their dining rooms at 50 per cent capacity.

Businesses will no longer be required to collect customer information for contact tracing, allowing them to focus their efforts on enforcing other public health measures such as masking.

With vaccines proving to be safe and effective, along with booster doses providing between 88 and 95 per cent protection against severe disease, and access to oral antiviral treatments, Moore said he’s “very hopeful” that public health measures involving masking and physical distancing could be behind us by the end of May.

“I do think March will be a much better month and certainly by April, we’ll be heading to that low rate of activity in the community,” Moore said.

“The weather is going to get better, we will get outdoors more, there will be more sunshine every day. I hope you’re hearing hope in my voice. And as we head to that low endemic rate, that’s when we review all public health measures that have been put in play.”

Service of food and drink at indoor sporting events, concert venues, theatres and cinemas, along with similar other venues will be permitted. Individuals will be required to remain seated when consuming food or drink in these venues. Masks will also continue to be required when individuals are not eating or drinking.

“The compromise was [that] you can eat or drink when seated but not to enable you to walk around unmasked,” explained Moore. “It is, again, trying to have a balanced approach. We’re reducing the risk, we can never eliminate the risk completely.”

The move is welcome news for Cineplex officials, who were faced with not being able to serve popcorn to theatregoers.

“We worked closely with the Province and provided them with the data showing the overwhelming safety of cinemas and food in cinemas – and we are so happy with this news,” a spokesperson for Cineplex tells CityNews 680. “Movies and popcorn go hand-in-hand and we are so happy that our guests in Ontario will be able to enjoy the full big-screen experience when our theatres reopen on Monday.”

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As well, the province is removing the legal requirement to work from home except where necessary. Moore adds that those who are able to work from home continue to do so in order to limit mobility and reduce the number of daily contacts.

The government is also phasing in the resumption of some health services, such as cancer screening, but there is still a pause on elective surgeries.

Non-urgent surgeries were put on hold in early January to preserve hospital capacity, affecting an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 procedures a week