Chatham-Kent officials are awaiting further information in the wake of Monday’s announcement about the easing of the province’s COVID-19 measures.
Proof of vaccination requirements will end as of March 1, provided the public health indicators remain positive, but no date has been set yet to end masking requirements.
April Rietdyk, Chatham-Kent’s general manager of community human services, said the final details are still to be determined about the measures.
“Once that does come out, then we will review it,” she told council during the non-agenda portion of Monday’s meeting. “We will look at it both from a public health perspective (and) Dr. (David) Colby will review it. We will look at it as an administrative team and really make the best decisions for our community that we can make.
“It’s still too soon to be able to state kind of unequivocally what we will be doing.”
In the announcement, Premier Doug Ford said residents “will need to keep masking in place for just a little bit longer,” adding it’s an important layer of protection that will allow the province to reopen safely.
Rietdyk said a council motion concerning the repealing of mask bylaw, which will occur when the province drops the mandate, has already been passed.
“The government has indicated that masking in all indoor places will remain,” she said. “They will continue to evaluate masking and they will update as appropriate, while they watch what our COVID numbers are and how people are responding to that.”
Capacity limits in settings with vaccine mandates, such as gyms and restaurant indoor dining, will no longer apply as of Thursday.
People will be allowed to hold much larger social gatherings — 50 individuals indoors and 100 outdoors from the current 10 indoors and 25 outdoors — an earlier and bigger increase than previously announced.
As for the expiration of vaccine mandates, businesses will be allowed to keep using them if they wish.
– With Postmedia files