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Despite easing of restrictions, COVID-19 is still out there cautions Health Unit

Even with precautions being lifted, the health unit can still issue new restrictions if there is a serious increase in COVID case counts
2021 11 23 PHSD Public Health Sudbury and Districts Building (Sudbury.com File Photo)
Public Health Sudbury & Districts.

The announcement by Premier Doug Ford that pandemic restrictions are gradually being lifted in Ontario will come into effect on Thursday. But that doesn't mean the pandemic has ended. 

The official word from Public Health Sudbury and Districts (PHSD) is to be careful, stay vigilant. Things like wearing a face mask, washing your hands and keeping a physical distance from others are still good ideas. 

Burgess Hawkins, a health protection manager at PHSD, said Tuesday that COVID-19 has not gone away. 

"What they're seeing is a drop in the incidence of COVID. Okay, so based on that, they have decided to remove some of the restrictions. But that doesn't mean it's not still there,” Hawkins said. “So things like mask use, physical distancing. All that is still important.”

One thing he noticed, said Hawkins, is that general precautions seem to have actually kept people healthier.

"Just in general, talking to people, they've said they have had less incidence of the flu and less incidence of colds and this sort of thing since the mask mandate has been put in. So it is effective. And it is something people are going to look at so we're still going to be promoting it," said Hawkins. He said even though precautions will no longer be legislated, they are still a good idea. 

He said the same approach would also apply to the idea of vaccinations. 

"We definitely will be promoting and continuing to run vaccine clinics to try and get as many people vaccinated as possible. The more people you have vaccinated, the less people you will have catching the disease or if they catch it, they will not have as severe a reaction to it," Hawkins added. 

Hawkins said he would be concerned if the easing of restrictions somehow gave people a false sense of security about the virus.

"It has spread. It is around. So although there is less prevalence of it, it is still present. So we want to continue to prevent the spread of COVID in our communities; in high-risk settings. Again, getting vaccinated is one of the key ways to protect yourself. And by protecting yourself, you're protecting other people because you're not spreading it," said Hawkins. 

He added that people still need to exercise caution for the time being.

"I would be concerned if they (people) did get a false sense of security for it. They still need to watch themselves. Okay. It's a case of there are fewer viruses around, but it is still there."

Hawkins added that the last thing anyone wants to see is a return to any sort of new restriction or lockdown. He said it is still possible for public health restrictions to be put in place at any time if the Medical Officer of Health feels there is a threat to the health of the community.

"It can be done through the Letter of Instruction through the Emergency Management Act of Ontario or if needed as a Section 22 order under the Health Protection Promotion Act," said Hawkins. 

He said such action would not be done unless there was a serious and specific situation that requires the intervention of public health orders.

Hawkins also commented on the idea that some business owners in Toronto said they will choose to require proof of vaccines for customers coming into their restaurants because they're not entirely confident in having fewer restrictions. 

"Any business can request the vaccine passport," said Hawkins. 

He said the vaccine passport requirement is still in effect until March 1 and there is no indication of what will happen to the passport system after that date. He said any business owner is free to keep health restrictions in place. 

Hawkins said that he, like most Ontario residents, will be glad to someday see COVID gone and not coming back. 

"The key message that I would say is that, yes, restrictions are easing. But the last thing we want to happen is to remove the restrictions, and then have to put it all back on again," said Hawkins.  

"So really, you know, the mask use, the distancing, the handwashing, the vaccinations; those are all still important to try and prevent that. Because we don't want to see it locked down again,” said Hawkins. 

“You know, I realize that a lot of people, well they're tired of COVID. That's the only way to put it. But there is a reason we're trying to still keep it under control. Because when it blows up, it blows up bad," he said. 

Len Gillis is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter at Sudbury.com, covering health care in northeastern Ontario. The Local Journalism Initiative is made possible with funding from the federal government.


Len Gillis, local journalism initiative reporter

About the Author: Len Gillis, local journalism initiative reporter

Len Gillis is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter at Sudbury.com covering health care in northeastern Ontario and the COVID-19 pandemic.
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