Ontarians no longer need to wear masks in schools, retail settings, and most other public places starting today. Premier Doug Ford thanked residents in a Twitter post on March 21, saying their cooperation has led Ontario to this new stage of exiting the COVID-19 pandemic. “Today marks an important milestone in our fight with COVID. Thanks to your hard work, sacrifice and willingness to rise to the occasion, Ontario is now at a place where we can safely remove the mask mandate in most settings,” he wrote. On March 9, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore announced the removal of mandatory masking rules for most public settings, with the exception of certain congregated indoor spaces such as public transit, health care settings, long-term care homes, and shelters. The province plans to end all mask mandates and remaining public health rules by the end of April. Following Moore’s announcement, several …