Back to (almost) normal

Plus: More Liberal logo leaks, new ADM for small biz, sources dish on Brown's bid, and a special milestone

ABOVE THE FOLD

ENDGAME — Heavily teased, we now have an end date for when mask mandates will lift in Ontario’s schools, restaurants and shops: March 21.

— What sources are saying: Top officials in the Ford government confirmed that most masking rules will be kaput in time for when students return from March Break. That tracks with our scoop that the province will be as back to normal as we’ve been since Covid hit by the time the campaign officially kicks off. Higher-risk settings — such as hospitals and public transit — will likely stick with masks for longer, something the top doc previously intimated.

— The big picture: Ontario is already cracking open on an accelerated timeline. That’s thanks to ICU admissions trending down — despite the new sub-variant — and booster shots ticking up. Caveat: Data is limited these days because testing isn’t widely available, so case counts are 10-fold what’s being reported (by the official tally, there were 1,208 cases clocked on Tuesday — but it’s…