Ontario opposition parties call for masking rules, PCR access as over 1,100 hospitalizations reported

Ontario's three main opposition parties are calling on the Doug Ford government to reintroduce mandatory masking rules in public places and expand access to PCR testing while calling the initial removal of these measures a "huge mistake," as the province grapples with the sixth wave of COVID-19 amid mounting cases.

The comments come as hospitalizations are up 40 per cent week over week and wastewater surveillance suggests COVID-19 activity is higher than it was at the peak of the fifth wave in January.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath is calling for the government to either reinstate masking measures in public places or explain why they won't.

She also says masks should be required in schools and the mandate should not be lifted for hospitals, long-term care homes and public transit on April 27 as planned, in order to blunt this latest wave.

"Health care workers are exhausted, and becoming infected with COVID at an alarming rate. And every bed taken by a COVID patient is another delay for someone waiting in pain for a surgery," said Horwath.

"It's clear that Doug Ford dropped masks too soon, and we're all paying the price — no one more so than the people waiting in pain for a surgery or procedure."

Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca also says ending mask mandates in those places on April 27 is a "huge mistake" and that masks should be required again in essential indoor settings such as schools, pharmacies and grocery stores.

"With COVID case counts now skyrocketing, Ontarians deserve science, not silence from their provincial government. Doug Ford's Conservatives must stop muzzling the Chief Medical Officer of Health and restore his regular media conferences that ended over a month ago," he said.

Asked why Dr. Kieran Moore has not held a recent pandemic briefing as the province sees climbing case counts and hospitalizations, the director of media relations for the premier's office said that decision is made by Moore himself.

"As we've said several times now, it was Dr. Moore's choice to end his regular updates as the province entered a new phase of the pandemic," said Ivana Yelich.

"If Dr. Moore changes his mind and wants to make himself available to media again, it is up to him to do so."

Green Leader Mike Schreiner, Horwath and Del Duca are also urging the government to broadly expand access to PCR testing so people know for sure when they are sick or contagious.

"Ontarians across the province are seeing friends, family, and colleagues get sick. People are looking to the Premier for direction and guidance, but he's missing in action," Schreiner said.

WATCH | Ontario seeing 100,000-120,000 daily new COVID-19 cases, expert estimates: