Ontario's top doctor strongly recommends masking indoors as health system faces 'extraordinary pressures'

Ontario's chief medical officer of health is"strongly recommending" that Ontarians wear masks in all indoor public settings, including in schools and in childcare settings, but stopped short of recommending a return to a mask mandate in the province.

At a news conference on Monday, Dr. Kieran Mooresaid the province's health system is facing "extraordinary pressures" with the ongoing circulation of COVID-19, the earlier than normal rise in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), as well asinfluenza.

"What we are facing is a triple threat that requires our collective action and action to protect the most vulnerable in our communities, the very young, the very old and those with underlying medical issues and to ensure that our health-care system remains able to care for Ontarians when they need it," Moore said.

WATCH:Dr. Kieran Moorerecommends masking in all indoor public settings:

Face masks strongly recommended by Ontarios top doc

2 years ago

Duration 2:02

Ontario's top doctor on Monday strongly recommended masking indoors but stopped short of issuing a mask mandate that some say is needed to protect the health-care system already struggling with an influx of patients sick with respiratory illnesses.

Moore saidOntariansneed toget back to using all the layers of protection that have proven to work over the course of the pandemic.

"We should all be screening daily for signs of illness and stay home when you are sick," he said.

"I'm asking Ontarians, especially children six months of age and older, pregnant individuals, families and caregivers with young children, health-care workers and elderly, and those with underlying health conditions to get your flu shot as soon as possible, [to] protect themselves and those around them," Moore added.

• You can see the full presentation Moore delivered at the bottom of this story.

Unprecedented surge ofsick children

The recommendation to mask up comes as pediatric hospitals across Ontario have been dealing with an unprecedented surge ofsick children in recent weeks.

Moore said children aged two to five should only wear a mask with supervision if they can safely tolerate masking, and can put it on and take it off.

Moore has previously said this fall and winter would see a resurgence of respiratory illnesses and that he would recommend masking in certain indoor settings if hospitals began cancelling surgeries to deal with a surge of patients.

"The difficult and complex fall that was predicted has materialized," Moore saidMonday.

"COVID-19, influenza and RSV all three are actively circulating across Ontario in all of our communities contributing to the pressures on our pediatric health-care system."

Medical officials have also been increasingly calling for the public to mask up after children's hospitals across the province became overwhelmed with young patients in emergency departments, pediatric wards and intensive care units.

On Friday the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto announced it would be ramping down surgeries to redeploy staff to those areas.

SickKids chief executive officer Dr. Ronald Cohn said the cancellation of surgeries is a big blow to children, their families and health-care workers.

"It is heartbreaking for the families and the children because, you know, the term 'elective surgery' doesn't really exist in children," Cohn told CBC Toronto, adding it's about finding the right time to schedule and perform the surgery.

"It's also incredibly morally distressing for all of us as health-care professionals, recognizing that we actually cannot do these procedures for the children, knowing that they need them," said Cohn.

Dr. Chris Simpson, executive vice-president, medical, at Ontario Health, also spoke at Monday's news conference. Hesaid that"unusually high numbers of children are coming into hospital emergency departments" for one or more viral illnesses, and the total number of these children that require admission is "uncommonly high."

Simpsonsaid while Ontariohospitals have been preparing for "this triple threat," they are seeing high numbers ofseriously ill children and seeing them earlier in the season than had been expected.

"Although this current situation is unlike anything we've seen in the pediatric population in recent memory, we have strong systems and structures that have been put in place during the pandemic for our adult community," Simpson said.

More steps needed, doctor says

Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease specialist at University Health Network in Toronto, says given what's been happening in the province, a recommendation to mask is not enough.

"I think it's one step, but there's other steps to take," Bogoch told CBC News.

"If you're not going to mandate masks, there are multiple steps to take to improve mask adherence in the community in the absence of this mandate."

He said the province should look at "lowering barriers to masks," by making them ubiquitous, putting them at the front of every mall and in every sports facility in schools "so that you actually have an opportunity to put them on."

WATCH:Dr. Isaac Bogochsays province should make masks more available:

'Impressive' community outreach needed to improve mask wearing, says specialist

2 years ago

Duration 4:39

If the province isn't going to mandate mask wearing in public settings, it needs a large and sound communications strategy to improve adherence, says infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch.

Meanwhile, speaking at a news conference on Sunday, an unrelated issue,Premier Doug Ford urged members of the public to get their flu shots and be up to date on the COVID-19 vaccinations.

"Wear a mask every time possible," Ford said.

Ford did not answer repeated questions Sunday about whether his government would bemandating masks in any settings.

"I'm going to follow Dr. Moore's direction," Ford said, a line he repeated several times when pressed on the issue.

Here's the full presentation from the chief medical officer of health on Nov. 14: