Ontario will lift its mandatory masking requirements for most settings on March 21, says the province’s chief medical officer of health, as COVID-19 indicators continue to improve. Dr. Kieran Moore made the announcement in a press conference on March 9, saying that the number of positive cases in the province remains stable and new admissions to hospitals and intensive care units are declining. “With the peak of Omicron behind us, Ontario has been able to cautiously and gradually move through its reopening milestones,” he said. “We are now learning to live with and manage COVID-19 for the long term. This necessitates a shift to a more balanced response to the pandemic.” Moore said providing “continued improvements and trends” in the province, Ontario would remove its mandatory masking requirement for most settings on March 21, with the exception of certain settings such as public transit, health care settings, and long-term care homes. He said the …