Four new COVID-related deaths are being reported in the province today, but despite that, Special Measures Orders imposed nearly two years ago at the onset of the pandemic will officially come to an end on Monday, March 14th.
That means nearly all COVID restrictions are coming to an end, but some precautions will remain in effect in certain circumstances.
Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald indicated in the provincial government’s last regularly scheduled live COVID briefing that living with high levels of a relatively mild disease, just like seasonal flu, means that some people remain highly vulnerable to severe illness.
That’s why, she says, it will still be important to wear masks, exercise physical distancing and avoiding high risk situations such as crowded gatherings.
Fitzgerald says even though the mask mandate is lifting on Monday, the wearing of masks is still strongly recommended – at least for the next few weeks.
She says they expect the current COVID wave to subside by about mid-April as the weather improves and more activities move outdoors.