Ontario science table head Peter Juni resigns to take position oveseas

The man at the helm of Ontario’s science advisory table is handing in his resignation.

Dr. Peter Juni has accepted a position at Oxford University in England, which begins July 1.

“While this is a great loss for Science Table, the University of Toronto and Ontarians, it is an exciting opportunity for Peter and his family, and a chance to continue his academic leadership on a global level,” read a letter sent to the rest of the science table members from co-chairs Adalsteinn Brown and Brian Schwartz.

Juni says while it was personally a difficult and emotional decision to leave, the timing was right.

“This is a transition phase and we are transitioning to something that will be different and less challenging than what we’ve experienced during the last two years,” he said in an interview with CityNews.

Juni says moving to Europe will put him closer to his children and parents, who have struggled with some non-COVID health issues during the pandemic which “showed us the limitations of being on the other side of the Atlantic.”

“When this opportunity with Oxford came up, it became very obvious that this would be the right step to do,” he said.

Juni hasn’t set a date when he will officially step down, indicating it will be late spring.

The co-chairs of the advisory table say “succession planning” for his position is underway.

The epidemiologist and professor of medicine at the University of Toronto has been with the science table since it formed in July 2020. Throughout his tenure, Juni has become known for his bluntness when it comes to dispensing advice on the COVID-19 pandemic to the Ford government.

RELATED: COVID-19 could storm back as result of relaxed health measures: Ontario Science Table

In the most recent update, the science table said that the province will likely see a bump in hospitalizations and ICU occupancy as public health measures are lifted, noting the spread of subvariant BA.2 and individual vaccination status will also play a factor.

Juni tells CityNews that even as mask mandates are set to lift next week, it would be a mistake to think the worst is behind us. He says the province needs to plan on another mass vaccine rollout – 250,000 doses a day over a four to five week period around November – in order to boost immunity and get us through the winter months.

“I think we should also be ready again to use masks in certain situations and it may be that we will need to discuss once more whether mask mandates could be needed and whether vaccine certificates would be needed,” he said,

“If we’re a bit lucky and do the job well, especially with the vaccine rollouts and the masks, it’s likely that we won’t need any further restrictions. But we should not pretend its over, it’s not. This would be a mistake.”