seventy per cent of ottawa residents are now fully vaccinated and 83 per cent have at least one dose of covid-19 vaccine.
during a stop in ottawa this week, premier doug ford suggested that few public health protocols would remain in place once the province exits step 3.
“we want to hit our target and then the protocols, most of them, are gone with the exception of maybe a few (dr. moore) may want to keep in place,” ford said. “for the most part, everyone has worked hard and we are going to move beyond this and start working on the economy.”
alberta went beyond the end of masking this week when its chief medical officer of health dr. deena hinshaw announced that people who test positive for covid-19 will no longer be required to isolate in most cases and universal masking in schools will no longer be required, nor will quarantines be required for close contacts of cases, among other things. the province said covid-19 measures will move “in line with other respiratory viruses.”
other provinces, including british columbia, saskatchewan, p.e.i. and new brunswick have or will soon loosen or drop mandatory indoor mask mandates.
meanwhile, in the u.s., the centers for disease control and prevention reversed earlier guidance and recommended vaccinated people wear masks indoors in certain areas, as cases in many parts of the country rise.