Ontario Health Minister Says Masks Are a ‘Personal Choice’ Amid Calls for Return to Mandate

Sylvia Jones, deputy premier and minister of health, shakes hands with Premier Doug Ford as she takes her oath at the swearing-in ceremony at Queen’s Park in Toronto on June 24, 2022. Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press

Amid calls from some for a renewed provincial mask mandate, Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones told reporters outside the legislature on Nov. 16 that wearing a mask is a personal decision.

“Personal choice is important here, and we should not be passing judgment on people who wear a mask or not wear a mask,” she said while wearing a mask. “We all make individual choices.”