Ontario's top doctor is set to urge residents to mask up.
Chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore is scheduled to make the announcement this morning after two government sources confirmed its contents over the weekend.
Moore has previously said he would recommend masking in certain indoor settings if hospitals began cancelling surgeries.
Pediatric hospitals have been overwhelmed in recent weeks by a massive influx of very sick patients.
Some major children's hospitals have had to cancel non-urgent surgeries in order to redeploy staff to the emergency department and intensive care units that are operating over capacity.
Related: Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto reduces surgeries to preserve critical care
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is urging everyone to wear masks but has stopped short of imposing a mandate, and Moore is not expected to recommend the return of mandatory masking.
Two government sources have said the province will not bring back mask mandates that were prevalent throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
banner image: The Canadian Press
