This is the message of the Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore, who spoke publicly on Monday about the spread of the virus for the first time in almost a month. He made the remarks while announcing extensive PCR tests and treatments for COVID-19 in the province. “There are steps we can take to help manage the impact of this wave,” Moore told Queen’s Park. “These include a strong recommendation that you continue to wear a well-fitting three-layer mask or use a medical mask in all public indoor areas.”

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Moore’s comments come as the province continues to face the latest increase in cases and hospitalizations associated with the new coronavirus. Last week, the head of the province’s science board said Ontario is likely to see up to 120,000 new cases of COVID-19 each day, based on wastewater analysis. The provincial government ended the mask’s mandate in most interiors on March 21 after a small wave of infections earlier this year. It remains a mask command for Ontario public transportation and high-risk regulations. That is set to end on April 27, but Moore said Monday that Ontario is “actively considering it” and it would be “extremely reasonable to keep it.” Moore delivered his last scheduled public press conference for COVID-19 on March 13, as cases and hospitalizations dropped after the January outbreak. He said at the time that he would only comment on the spread of COVID-19 in the province as needed after that date. Asked why he had not spoken publicly about the recent rise in COVID-19 measurements, Moore explained that data on the transmission of the virus “was available to all Ontarians”. “The point we are making today is to reiterate that yes, we are in a sixth wave, yes, we will see an increase in hospital admissions and intensive care units,” Moore said, adding that these public health indicators are likely to continue for in the coming weeks. His remarks come as COVID-19-related hospitalizations exceeded the 1,000 mark last week for the first time since February. Moore said that at the height of this current wave of infections, Ontario could see up to 600 patients in intensive care. However, he stressed that health and human resources remain available to provide adequate care to these individuals.