Air purification key to reduce COVID-19 transmission: expert
Officials with the Simcoe Muskoka health unit indicated a looming reintroduction of capacity limits, but one local doctor says the focus should be on air purification.
Dr. Sohail Gandhi said that while he "understands the rationale" following in the footsteps of other Ontario health units by adding stricter capacity measures, he believes the primary focus should be on limiting aerosolized virus transmission.
"I think that would make a bigger difference frankly than limiting the number of people that are in gatherings," said the past president of the Ontario Medical Association and a current Stayner physician.
"We're heading into a very important time of year," Dr. Gandhi said. "We're heading into the Christmas season. People want to spend time together, and it's really important for their mental health that they get the chance to spend that time with their families," he noted, adding that finding a safer way for people to manage gatherings is key.
The health unit hasn't provided a timeline for when it would implement new capacity measures, but on Friday, the associate medical officer of health said they could come as early as this week, calling the move "inevitable."
November's total COVID-19 positive cases were the third-highest monthly rate of the pandemic, prompting the health unit to contemplate stricter measures.
Since Friday, the health unit logged 211 new cases, inching the region closer to 17,000 total confirmed cases.
However, 75 per cent of the eligible population have received both vaccine doses, and as of Monday, individuals 50+ can register for a third dose.
Dr. Gandhi pointed to the highly "politicized" third dose rollout. He noted there aren't enough people under 50 who qualify since the province conducted an age-based rollout for the first two doses due to a limited supply of vaccines at the time.
"Even if we were to arbitrarily open it up right now and say everyone over 18 can get it, there's a very, very small number of people who actually qualify for that because it was the over 50 crowd that's over six months out," he explained.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.