Ontario Deputy Premier and Health Minister Christine Elliott says the government is watching closely as protesters occupy downtown Ottawa and block international borders.
Elliot says she supports free expression as long as no laws are being broken, but says Ontario is committed to a "very cautious, phased approach" to reopening.
"The next phase is February 21 and then March 14. We have no plans currently to drop the passport vaccination situation or masking," said Elliott.
Some provinces have unveiled aggressive timetables for lifting most public health measures including Alberta and Saskatchewan.
"We think masking is going to be important for some time to come and we take our advice from Dr. Moore, the Chief Medical Officer of Health and the Science Advisory Table, and other medical experts," added Elliott.
Dr. Kieran Moore is scheduled to speak Thursday during his regular weekly news conference to provide more updates.
In the meantime, there are social media posts indicating that there will be another round of protests in Toronto this weekend.
