With a surge of reported respiratory illnesses in children across the province, Chatham-Kent’s top doctor says health officials are keeping a close eye on the situation locally.
During a press conference on Monday, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Kieran Moore said pediatric units in the province have filled past capacity with young children suffering from RSV, influenza, and COVID-19. He said children under the age of five are at the highest risk for hospitalization for respiratory illness.
In response, Moore strongly recommended that all Ontarians wear a mask in indoor settings, but stopped short of mandating it. However, he said the health ministry is actively discussing mask mandates in school and childcare settings as a potential measure.
Chatham-Kent’s Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Colby said he does not believe masking mandates are required at this time.
“I don’t think we’re needing one just yet, but we’re keeping a close eye on things and we’ll just have to react appropriately when the time comes,” said Colby. “There’s a very heavy burden of respiratory illness in the community right now at multiple age levels. So we’re watching the situation very, very carefully.”
Dr. Colby said recommendations would have to be made at the provincial level before Chatham-Kent Public Health would institute a mask mandate at local schools.
“That will be done in conjunction with the Ministry of Education, probably not at the local health unit level,” he said. “It becomes quite problematic for school boards if one health unit makes rules that another one does not. That’s why we need some provincial direction.”
Both the St. Clair Catholic District School Board and Lambton Kent District School Board would not comment on the potential for reinstating mask mandates, and added that they take their direction from local medical officers of health in Chatham-Kent and Lambton County.