Doug Ford unmasked at question period a day after Ontario’s top doctor urges their use

A day after Ontario's top doctor urged indoor masking to slow the spread of respiratory viruses, Health Minister Sylvia Jones said it's a personal choice" and rejected calls for mass advertising campaigns on wearing masks and getting flu and COVID-19 vaccines.

Jones said there have been repeated messages" from chief medical officer Dr. Kieran Moore and the government on the importance of masking and on getting COVID boosters and flu shots.

Individual choice is important to us and the chief medical officer of health, while making a strong recommendation, also acknowledged that there are different circumstances," said Jones, one of the few Progressive Conservative MPPs to wear a mask in the legislature's daily question period Tuesday.

Premier Doug Ford and most of his caucus were not masked, raising the ire of opposition parties whose members donned masks.

They accused the government of failing to show leadership in the wake of Moore's plea. Moore made the appeal for masking as the spread of flu, RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) and COVID swamps pediatric hospital emergency rooms and intensive care units with sick children.

What do you think people are going to say? Well, look, he's telling me to do something he can't even do himself,'" interim Liberal Leader John Fraser said of Ford.

It's just a total absence of leadership," charged interim New Democrat Leader Peter Tabuns.

Jones, who recently recovered from COVID, countered that the legislative chamber is a huge room with extremely high ceilings.

What we are seeing is people who are making determinations based on their personal circumstances."

Opposition parties called for a sustained advertising blitz on television, radio, newspapers and social media to stress the importance of masking and getting vaccinated for COVID and flu. There are no vaccines for RSV, although they are in development.

Come out and deliver a clear message to the people of Ontario about what we, together, need to do to protect our hospitals, especially our pediatric hospitals," said Green Leader Mike Schreiner.

The government can be much more clear on a whole range of issues ... what people can do in their day-to-day lives to help protect our children."

On Monday, Moore asked Ontarians to wear masks in indoor public spaces and even in homes and private social settings, where flu and RSV are spreading rapidly after more than two years of pandemic restrictions that held them at bay.

What can be a cold to you can lead to a severe respiratory infection in someone under four ... I don't know that parents realize that," he added, advising parents who show symptoms such as a runny nose to mask up at home to protect their infants and toddlers.

Moore said mask mandates are possible in the coming weeks but noted they are difficult or impossible to enforce in homes and private social settings, where he believes most of the transmission is taking place.

I am pleased to see the province reiterating a strong recommendation for masks and moving the needle toward normalizing mask-wearing in indoor public spaces," said Dr. Barry Pakes, medical officer of health for York Region.

Most usual influenza seasons have a four-week upswing and four-week downswing. We are hopeful the need for masking will be short-lived. The sooner and more completely we use this simple and well-worn tool, the sooner we will see a decrease in illness."

Pediatric hospitals such as SickKids and the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa are being severely strained by the wave of respiratory illnesses, postponing surgeries to leave more ICU beds available and transferring older teens to adult intensive care units in nearby hospitals. A number of children are critically ill and on ventilators.

That's why a comprehensive ad campaign is needed on masking and vaccination, said New Democrat health critic France Gelinas (Nickel Belt).

You explain to people why you have to do something that you don't feel like doing."

Fraser said it's ironic the Ford government did an advertising blitz on public services for months in advance of last June's election campaign but won't do one now on issues key to public health, as the state of Massachusetts is doing on Boston cable TV channels seen in his Ottawa riding.

They are just pounding it."

With files from Isabel Teotonio.

Rob Ferguson is a Toronto-based reporter covering Ontario politics for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @robferguson1