Ontario to lift mask mandate by end of March despite risk of spread due to BA.2 subvariant: Moore
Posted March 3, 2022 3:41 pm.
Last Updated March 3, 2022 6:32 pm.
Ontario’s chief medical officer of health confirmed the province’s mask mandate would lift at the end of March despite citing an ongoing risk of a COVID-19 subvariant.
Dr. Kieran Moore says BA.2, a sublineage of the Omicron variant, is expected to continue to spread over the next few weeks and become dominant by mid-March.
The BA.2 variant is roughly 30 per cent more contagious than the original Omicron strain, but Moore stresses that it’s not likely to result in a spike in hospitalizations.
NEW – Dr. Moore says the BA.2 variant could be the dominant strain in Ontario by mid March, though he points out the province is so far not seeing any increased hospitalization with that new strain.
— Richard Southern (@RichardCityNews) March 3, 2022
The BA.2 subvariant, sometimes referred to as the “stealth variant,” has been outcompeting several countries’ previously dominant BA.1 subvariant.
In late February, the World Health Organization (WHO) said the BA.2 sublineage “should continue to be considered a variant of concern and that it should remain classified as Omicron.”
“BA.2 differs from BA.1 in its genetic sequence, including some amino acid differences in the spike protein and other proteins. Studies have shown that BA.2 has a growth advantage over BA.1,” the WHO wrote.
“… Initial data suggest that BA.2 appears inherently more transmissible than BA.1, which currently remains the most common Omicron sublineage reported.”
As for masks, Moore says that the recent positive trend means that the mandate will be lifted by the end of the month, but he stressed that individuals at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19 should continue to wear one, if possible.
“We can anticipate, if the trends continue, removing mandatory masking by the end of March,” Moore said, acknowledging that Ontario can “only mandate masking for so long,” with the risk from COVID-19 decreasing.
The province’s top doctor cited the high vaccination rate and declining hospitalizations, saying he believes the worst is behind us.
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Premier Doug Ford has been outspoken recently over his intentions of following Moore’s lead and removing the masking mandate as soon as possible.
“We aren’t far away, so let’s all continue working together,” Ford said on Monday. “What I’m hearing… over the next few weeks, maybe after March Break.”
His comments are in line with what Health Minister Christine Elliott said a day later after she indicated that she expects mask mandates in the province would lift “probably within the next few weeks.”
Moore also touched on the potential of re-expanding PCR test availability to reach more people, saying that the current approach is “working very, very well.”
Moore says it’s estimated that COVID-19 cases in Ontario are roughly ten times the confirmed daily cases. Compared to Thursday’s 2,262 approximate case count, that would be 22,620. Health officials continue to caution that daily COVID case counts are underreported following changes to the province’s testing policy.
Ontario ended most of its primary COVID-19 public health measures Tuesday.
Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is no longer required at most Ontario restaurants, gyms and movie theatres, while nightclubs, sporting and concert venues have now eliminated capacity limits, and restrictions have been lifted on social gathering sizes.
With files from The Canadian Press
