Doug Ford says he can't see Ontario's mask mandate lifting anytime soon
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he doesn't see the province's mask mandates ending anytime soon.
Ford was speaking with Belleville radio station CJBQ today and was asked about his recently announced plan to start easing COVID-19 restrictions.
The premier said he can't stand shutdowns and wants to get back to normal, but wants to do it properly and cautiously, which is why there will be at least 21 days between each reopening phase.
When asked if a mask mandate will be lifted, Ford said he couldn't say that it will be anytime soon.
He says it really protects people, though it won't be in place forever.
Businesses such as restaurants, gyms and cinemas are set to reopen Jan. 31 with capacity limits and Ford plans to lift nearly all such constraints by mid-March.
The restrictions were imposed earlier this month as cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 soared.
Ontario reported 4,008 people hospitalized with COVID-19 Tuesday and 626 people in intensive care units. That was up from 3,861 hospitalizations and 615 people in ICUs reported the previous day, but not all hospitals report weekend data.
Ontario also reported 64 new deaths Tuesday, including some that occurred earlier this month.
The province reported 3,424 new cases of COVID-19, but Public Health Ontario has said the actual number is higher because of changes to the province's testing policy.
There were 11 schools closed due to operational reasons, down from 16 the previous day.
Eighty-nine per cent of Ontarians aged five and older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 83 per cent have received two doses.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 25, 2022
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Live updates: What star witness in Trump hush money case has said on the stand so far
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial took the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.
Police release 3D images of young child found in an Ontario river two years ago
Police have released a three-dimensional image of a young child whose remains were discovered in the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. almost two years ago.
Kamala Harris drops F-bomb during White House live-stream
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris used a profanity on Monday while offering advice to young Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders about how to break through barriers.
When you have a moment's notice to evacuate, what do you take?
Knowing what to have at home, or take with you for an evacuation, can be useful and even life-saving.
Western University researchers unlock potential 'cure' for ALS
New research out of London, Ont.’s Western University is shedding light on a potential cure for ALS, in which the targeting of the interaction between two proteins can halt or fully reverse the disease’s progression.
Canucks' Soucy suspended 1 game, Zadorov fined $5,000 for post-game crosschecks on McDavid
A Vancouver Canucks defenceman has been suspended for a game and another was handed a hefty fine after a scrum broke out at the end of Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers Sunday night.
'Judge Judy' Sheindlin sues for defamation over National Enquirer, InTouch Weekly stories
'Judge Judy' Sheindlin sued the parent company of the National Enquirer and InTouch Weekly on Monday for a story that she said falsely claimed that she was trying to help the Menendez brothers get a retrial after they were convicted of murdering their parents.
Wildfire smoke drifts across Canada, over parts of U.S., prompting air quality advisories
Air quality advisories are in effect across Western Canada as smoky conditions plague some areas, according to the latest forecasts. Here's where.
'A great victory for the industry': Taxi drivers celebrate ruling that found City of Ottawa negligent in allowing Uber to operate
An Ontario Superior Court judge has ruled that the City of Ottawa was negligent in its enforcement of the city's taxi bylaw when it allowed Uber to begin operating in 2014, harming the city's established taxi industry.