Ontario’s November indoor mask recommendation was not considered a “key message” for the health minister when he spoke in the legislature, documents show.
On November 14, the province’s chief medical officer of health “strongly” recommended wearing masks in all indoor public places in an effort to ease the burden on hospitals and pediatric centers from the triple threat of COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
“As the risk to Ontarians increases, we need to use all the layers of protection we have,” Dr. Kieran Moore told reporters at the time.
But that recommendation was not followed or echoed in Queen’s Park that week, with many Progressive Conservative MPs, as well as Premier Doug Ford, defying the advice of the province’s chief medical officer by not wearing masks themselves.
CTV News Toronto obtained photocopies of Health Minister Sylvia Jones’ legislative files from Nov. 14 to Nov. 16 following an access to information request. It includes “key messages” and conversation topics used to respond to inquiries made during the Question Period.
In the documents, the only case where masking is recommended is for those who have been “in close contact with the most vulnerable – children under the age of five and those with weakened immune systems”.
The notes did not mention Moore’s “strong” recommendation to wear masks in indoor public places.
Instead, the minister’s remarks emphasized personal choice, a line Jones used repeatedly after MPPs were called out by other members for their failure to wear masks.
“I encourage all Ontarians to make a personal risk assessment when deciding whether or not to wear a mask,” the thread reads.
The next section of the link file related to “masking and pediatric RSV excitement” also mentions nothing about wearing a mask.
When contacted for comment, a spokesman for Jones’ office said the memos were “just one of many tools the minister is using to get to grips with the subject”.
“They are not the only source of information and should not be treated as such,” Hannah Jensen said in a statement to CTV News Toronto.
“Minister Jones answered several questions about Ontario’s masking advisory and it was clear that this is one tool available to Ontarians to protect them during the pandemic. The minister and our government continue to take advice from Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, who recommends multiple levels of protection, such as keeping up with your vaccinations and staying home when you’re sick.”
CTV News Toronto asked Jones’ office if the key messages had changed since Nov. 16 or if any other changes were made to the talking points, but did not receive a direct response.
While the government often touts the other layers of protection needed to limit the spread of COVID-19, Ontario Liberal Dr. Adil Shamji says public health can only be effective when there is trust, reliability and consistency.
“So when the Health Secretary repeatedly contradicted Dr Moore’s recommendations for indoor masking, I have no doubt that this undermined their message and led to poorer health outcomes and increased demand on our health system,” said he told CTV News Toronto.
“For people to make the right decision for themselves, they need to have access to the right information.”
MANY MPPS FAILED TO FOLLOW ADVICE ON MASKING IN QUEENS PARK
The day after the masking recommendation was made, fewer than a dozen Progressive Conservative MPs could be seen wearing face masks during question period. Jones, who had just recovered from COVID-19, was wearing a mask in the legislature at the time.
While addressing their choice not to wear masks on Nov. 15, Jones reiterated that people will have to make their own choices when it comes to public safety measures, adding that “we shouldn’t pass judgment.”
“Personal choice is important here,” she said. “We all have different circumstances in terms of who we care for at home.”
“I have great faith that the people of Ontario will do what is appropriate and mask when appropriate.”
Shamji said at the time, Ontarians weren’t getting the information they needed to make these health decisions.
“All they could do was follow the advice of elected officials and their doctors. And in this case, the health minister and the chief medical officer were saying two contradictory things that made it difficult for people to know exactly what to do,” he said.
“Masking is not an easy thing. And when the messages suggest that it’s not very important, I can’t blame people for choosing not to disguise themselves.”
On Wednesday, a day after CTV News Toronto asked about the mask recommendations, Moore released a statement advising Ontarians to “wear a mask in crowded indoor public places, especially those at higher risk.”
When asked for clarity, he said it was a “fair assumption” that he strongly recommends vaccines and less strongly recommends masking now that respiratory virus season is at its height.
At the same time, he said those who are more vulnerable should continue to wear masks in public indoor spaces such as malls and in transit.
The last time Moore held a public press conference was in November, when the masking recommendations were made.
At the time, he said it was important to educate people about the importance of masking, even in the absence of a clear mandate.
“I think we need to educate, educate, educate. That is the basic premise of our public health right now,” he said.
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