BARRIE, ONT. -- Simcoe Muskoka's top doctor said he would support a return to the classroom for students across the region.

"We feel ready, and we feel it's important," Dr. Charles Gardner, chief medical officer of health, said he feels it's time to get kids back to in-person learning during a live conference Wednesday.  However, the decision remains out of his hands.

"Ultimately, it [the decision] rests with the province," Dr. Gardner noted.

"We support returning to school at this time," he added. "We have a limited time left in the school year, but that limited amount of time could be very beneficial for their physical and mental well-being."

Dr. Gardner noted the declining COVID-19 cases, along with low transmission rates inside schools throughout the pandemic. "We believe that our rates are down sufficiently where we can follow up with cases and their contacts."

Schools across Ontario shifted to remote learning in mid-April as infection rates and hospitalizations surged during the third wave.

Ontario's chief medical officer of health, Dr. David Williams, said Tuesday he would like to see schools resume in-class learning before the province enters the first step of its reopening plan in mid-June.

Dr. Sohail Gandhi, past president of the Ontario Medical Association, said he wants to see schools reopen - and soon. "We have to get our kids back into schools. They belong there, and I think the longer this goes on, we're really badly affecting their mental health."

"I would welcome it, and welcome it even now," Dr. Gardner said.

Ontario's Science Advisory Table recently acknowledged a return to classes in June would likely result in a "manageable" six to 11 per cent jump in COVID-19 case counts.

The province has not indicated if or when schools might reopen, but during a media conference Tuesday, Dr. Williams hinted some schools could be open for in-person learning as early as next week.

"We may want to do things on a regional basis because there's a variation still in the province with some areas of the province having now very low case numbers day over day," Williams said.

With files from CP24