Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, the medical officer of health for Public Health Sudbury and Districts (PHSD), said she continues to strongly recommend the use of masks in indoor public settings to protect against COVID-19 infection.
Sutcliffe's statement in a late afternoon news release Thursday comes despite Wednesday’s announcement by the province’s Chief Medical Officer of Health that mask requirements will end on Monday, March 21, 2022.
“Despite recent promising trends in local COVID-19 metrics, the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is still circulating widely and the risk of infection and risk to our health-care system has not passed. This is why I am strongly recommending that people continue to wear masks when in indoor crowded spaces, and especially if they have higher personal health risks or if their close circle includes those who are vulnerable to severe infection,” said. Dr. Sutcliffe.
“The pandemic is not over, and our area continues to have higher COVID rates compared with the province. With the provincial direction for the March 21 removal of masking mandates for most settings, along with the removal of screening and safety plan requirements for businesses and organizations, I am reminding people in our area that masking remains a simple and effective tool to protect yourself and those around you," her statement continued.
The full text of the PHSD statement is located here.
