🦠👀⛱️With mask mandates largely lifted and many Ontarians with multiple doses, I asked health officials, including @mustafahirji and @twpiggott, what kind of summer the province has in store — and how public-health units will be spending it.
tvo.org/article/hot-vi… #HamOnt
tvo.org/article/hot-vi… #HamOnt
The Hamilton, Niagara and Peterborough health units are all seeing less transmission as well as fewer hospital admissions and outbreaks than in the last few weeks and months. They expect relatively low transmission probably until fall. [2/9]
https://twitter.com/Ptbohealth/status/1534626368499159041
Despite lower transmission, Hirji worries that abut 8 per cent of PCR tests in Niagara are positive compared to about 2 or 3 per cent through much of the pandemic. Piggott warns healthcare capacity is still very limited. (See here: toronto.citynews.ca/2022/06/10/eme…) [3/9]
Hirji, Piggot and Michelle Baird, director of Hamilton public health's Epidemiology, Wellness & Communicable Disease Control Division, say they get being tired and frustrated but say it's still important to consider the risks to one's self and those more vulnerable. [4/9] 
On masking, Hirji's recommendation is to use them "in pretty much every indoor public setting” and crowded outdoor settings. Piggott emphasizes masking in essential services areas. The province—and #HamOnt public health—no longer recommend masking in most settings. [5/9]
In addition to monitoring the pandemic, public health units will be focusing on different problems this summer, such as the drug poisoning crisis, and catching up on missed inspections and programming, such as vaccinations for school-age children. [6/9]
hamilton.ca/catchupclinics
hamilton.ca/catchupclinics
Fall preparations include new vaccination efforts and maintaining infection control measures.
Hirji says overall, more should be done to increase vaccination, improve ventilation and create options for people to work from home or have paid time off when ill. [7/9]
Hirji says overall, more should be done to increase vaccination, improve ventilation and create options for people to work from home or have paid time off when ill. [7/9]
Public-health units are also working to monitor and prepare for monkeypox. As of publication time, no cases had been publicly reported in Hamilton, Niagara, or Peterborough. (See the article for what more Hirji and Piggot had to say about that.) [8/9]
Moving past summer, Hirji says making changes to manage COVID-19 will lead us toward an overall healthier, more equitable and more prosperous society. He says the pandemic has lessened all those aspects and if we don't act, that will be it's legacy.
tvo.org/article/hot-vi… [9/9]
tvo.org/article/hot-vi… [9/9]
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