Ottawa - Canada's Chief Public Health Officer said that governments should be prepared to reinstate public health measures in the event of another serious COVID-19 variant.

Several provinces have begun easing vaccine and mask mandates, signaling a return to normal life now that the Omicron wave has started to decline.

Dr. Theresa Tam says she hopes Canada has passed the pandemic crisis and is now in a transitional phase, moving towards recovery.

She says Canada remains prepared to reinstate some public health measures if cases start to rise again.

The goal, she says, will be to reduce strict restrictions in favor of "less intense" measures such as mask mandates.

She says COVID-19 will not disappear, and Canada must be ready for next fall when respiratory viruses reemerge.