Why mask mandates may be harder to justify in solving the crisis in children’s hospitals – CBC

No province or territory has opted to make the use of masks mandatory again

Nov 19, 2022

Masks are an effective layer of protection in the fight against COVID-19 and have been essential throughout the pandemic, helping to prevent infection, slow transmission and make crowded indoor environments safer when used appropriately.

But while everyone is encouraged to wear a mask to protect themselves in certain situations during respiratory illness season, mandating them now is harder to justify for a wide range of reasons.

Not a single provincial and territorial chief medical officer in the country has opted to make the use of masks mandatory again, despite growing public pressure and calls from some media and front-line physicians for mask mandates to alleviate the strain on hospitals.

The top doctors in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador have all said now is not the time to reinstate mask mandates, but continue to recommend masks to slow viral spread.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/canada-mask-mandate-rsv-flu-children-hospitals-1.6656303