Is Ontario ready to ‘live with COVID-19’?
The majority of Ontario’s pandemic restrictions have now been lifted and it seems, as politicians and health experts have predicted, the population is starting to “learn to live with COVID-19.”
But what does that really mean? Is Canada, or even Ontario, truly in a position to go about life as normal? What does this mean for those who are immunocompromised? Doe this mean the pandemic is over?
The phrase “learn to live with COVID-19” was first used in Ontario by Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore in late January.
"We have let our lives be controlled for the last two years in a significant amount of fear and now we are going to have to change some of that thinking," he said at the time.
"I think we have to start to understand we have to learn to live with this virus.”
The phrase has since been used by other health officials and politicians as Ontario inches further into its reopening.
On this week’s episode of Life Unmasked, the team speaks with Dr. Peter Jüni, the scientific director of Ontario’s COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, about what it really means to “live with COVID-19.”
He stressed that while public health trends have improved over the past few months, the pandemic is not over and that a cautious approach is still necessary. It's possible, Jüni warned, that measures such as masking and proof of vaccination may need to be implemented again if a new variant of concern is identified or if the province’s health-care system is burdened.
This is the last regularly scheduled episode of Life Unmasked, but the podcast team will be back to address your questions should there be a significant development in the pandemic.
Old episodes of Life Unmasked can be found on the iHeart radio app and other podcast streaming platforms. If you have a question about COVID-19 or want to reach the team, send an email to lifeunmasked@bellmedia.ca.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
LIVE NOW Canada to launch 'national action plan' to fight auto theft
The federal government is launching what it calls its 'national action plan' to combat auto thefts, which will include stronger penalties for thieves, and increased information sharing between police agencies, government officials and border enforcement.
U.S. Supreme Court rejects appeal from former Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by a Canadian-born former Guantanamo detainee who was seeking to wipe away his war crimes convictions, including for killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan.
Iran's president and foreign minister die in helicopter crash at moment of high tensions in Mideast
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the country's foreign minister were found dead Monday hours after their helicopter crashed in fog, leaving the Islamic Republic without two key leaders as extraordinary tensions grip the wider Middle East.
Jury finds Andrei Donet guilty of second-degree murder in stabbing death of Montreal teen
A jury has found a 21-year-old man guilty of second-degree murder in the stabbing death of Montreal teenager Jannai Dopwell-Bailey outside his school in 2021.
What is BORG drinking, and why is it a dangerous trend? An expert explains
If you've been to a party lately and haven't seen someone drinking a BORG, you're likely not partying with college students.
The world's best airline is paying staff a bonus of 8 months' salary
Singapore Airlines will reward its employees with a bonus worth nearly eight months of salary, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Friday.
Woman, 35, in critical condition after her truck collided with a Via Rail train near Montreal
A 35-year-old woman is in critical condition after the pick-up truck she was driving was struck by a Via Rail passenger train Monday morning in Quebec's Monteregie region.
Investors watching posts from 'Crytpo King' in the wake of fraud, money laundering charges
Former investors of the self-styled “Crypto King” say they are watching his social media accounts and worried his displays of wealth are signs he’s spending their money, even now, as another large expense tied to Aiden Pleterski has triggered a previously unreported lawsuit.
Britain slammed in inquiry for infecting thousands with tainted blood and covering up the scandal
British authorities and the country's public health service knowingly exposed tens of thousands of patients to deadly infections through contaminated blood and blood products, and hid the truth about the disaster for decades, an inquiry into the U.K.'s infected blood scandal found Monday.