Mandates Are Lifting: What Next?
As the Western provinces began to lift restrictions on mask mandates and vaccine passports, many have wondered: when will occur in Ontario? There are varying degrees of misinformation about these changes, however; for example, not everyone can go maskless.
Alberta and Manitoba have already lifted mandates requiring the public to wear masks and show proof of vaccination during the summer of 2021. In the fall, these mandates were reintroduced as case numbers started to climb once again. During this time, Ontario never lifted the mask mandate. The Ontario population has been required to wear masks since July of 2020 and this continues to apply to in all indoor or public settings.
ALBERTA & MANITOBA
As spring approaches, the mask mandates in both Alberta and Manitoba are changing once again: as of February 14, 2022, mask mandates have been lifted in schools for children and teenagers while in their buildings and on their school buses. Students will be allowed to wear a mask if they choose to, and teachers are still required to wear a mask while working. The new mask mandate in Alberta has allowed anyone under 13 years of age to go maskless in public, but those older than 13 are still required to wear them.
Masks will still be required, but Albertans will no longer require a vaccine passport–for them, the QR codes are gone. Places of worship and small venues that hold under 500 people have capacity limits removed. For further restrictions to be removed, numbers must keep trending down. Here are the planned changes for March 1, 2022:
Any remaining provincial school requirements (including cohorting) will be removed.
Screening prior to youth activities will no longer be required.
Capacity limits will be lifted for all venues.
Limits on social gatherings will be removed.
The provincial mask mandate will be removed.
Mandatory work from home removed.
Manitoba, similar to Alberta, intends to lift all restrictions (including proof of vaccination requirements and mask mandates) by March 15, 2022. As of February 15, they will be lifting proof of vaccination requirements for children's sports, and capacity limits in restaurants. Mask mandates in schools will not be lifted in the first round of changes. Although masks will not be required after March 15, they will be still recommended if in a busy indoor space, shopping or if you generally feel ill.
ONTARIO
Ontario had previously expected to lift restrictions in March. On February 14, 2022, Premier Doug Ford announced that proof of vaccination requirements will be lifted as of March 1, 2022. Staring February 17th, all capacity limits where vaccination is required will be lifted. This includes gyms, movie theatres, and restaurants. Businesses can still choose to require proof of vaccination if they want to. Please be respectful of businesses that choose to continue to require proof of vaccination. Long-term care homes will still require proof of vaccination for visitors. All further restrictions will be up to counties and municipalities. Masks are still required; this mandate will be discussed at another time.
As Canada begins to reopen after two years in a global pandemic, people will likely feel uneasy about these changes. Showing your face, seeing other people’s faces and increasing human contact may cause anxiety in some. Remember to access helplines, counselling and friends who are all here to provide support as we enter a new phase of the pandemic together.
As Ontario is approaching maskless interaction once again, and we can begin to hope for fuller university lives, we may all require support. There are many great services through Lakehead. In Orillia, it should be noted that counselling is not done in-house like it is in Thunder Bay; rather, counselling is provided by Catholic Family Services. Lakehead notes “We are aware that there may be some potential barriers the name of our counselling provider poses to students. Despite the name, the provider is governed by an independent board, and their mandate is to provide professional services, not faith-based service. Their service philosophy is in line with the values we want for our provider “...to be inclusive of persons of all abilities, religions, cultures, sexual orientation or gender identity”.” Counselling services can be found in the link below and walk you through how to make the appointment, what to expect and other resources.