'The COVID-19 pandemic is not over,' Dr. Gardner urges caution as restrictions lift
"Caution is essential."
Simcoe Muskoka's chief medical officer of health is urging residents to continue practicing preventative measures as the province lifts restrictions and vaccine mandates.
"Although capacity limits have been lifted in most public settings and the provincial proof of vaccination system has ended, the COVID-19 pandemic is not over," Dr. Charles Gardner said in a release on Wednesday.
The health unit "strongly encourages" eligible residents to get vaccinated for COVID-19 to reduce the risk of severe illness.
"We're still seeing community transmission," Dr. Gardner noted.
Ontario lifted further restrictions, including capacity limits on most indoor facilities and scrapped the vaccine certificate program on Tuesday.
Restaurants, bars, casinos, gyms and other indoor public settings can resume business as usual, but individual businesses may choose to continue to require proof of vaccination from customers.
Masking indoors, including schools, remains in effect until further notice from the province.
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