Thinking of tossing the mask after that 2nd dose? Here's what Simcoe Muskoka needs to know
Nearly 22 per cent of Simcoe Muskoka residents have had both COVID-19 shots, and starting Monday, every adult 18 and older who had an mRNA first dose is eligible to get fully vaccinated.
So once residents are fully vaccinated, can face masks finally be a thing of the past?
According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, fully vaccinated residents will be able to leave the face mask at home more often.
The agency said that while all residents must continue to follow public health guidelines, restrictions can ease for those with both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
In an information chart, the agency says vaccine status doesn't matter when someone is meeting fully vaccinated people in a small outdoor group; therefore, no face mask for physical distancing is required.
For small indoor groups where everyone in attendance is fully vaccinated, there is no need to wear a mask or keep your distance.
A fully vaccinated person can ditch the face mask when attending a large outdoor gathering where vaccine status is unknown among those in attendance. But anyone who hasn't had both doses should mask up.
Face masks are suggested for concert-style settings regardless of vaccine status.
Additionally, the agency noted anyone who could have added health risks should maintain personal safety measures.
Currently, 64 per cent of Simcoe Muskoka residents have had their first shot.
DELTA VARIANT FOURTH WAVE CONCERNS
Simcoe Muskoka's medical officer of health said he anticipated the Delta variant to dominate COVID-19 cases across the region and even the province.
"It's important to assume that change to Delta dominance among COVID-19 cases is happening everywhere in our District," Gardner said earlier this week. "Because it's more transmissible, it will become more dominant across the province," he noted.
New COVID-19 federal modelling released Friday indicates the Delta variant poses a real risk of a winter resurgence.
Despite the information released by the Public Health Agency of Canada days before the province enters Step 2 of its reopening plans, Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam recommends maintaining personal protective measures, like wearing masks, regardless of vaccine status.
With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.