Wearing a mask will no longer be compulsory in public places in Quebec as of midnight Saturday, except in public transport and places where care is provided, such as hospitals, CHSLDs and medical clinics.
The decision was announced on May 4 by the acting national public health director, Dr. Luc Boileau.
Doctor Boileau specified that the obligation to wear a mask will also be lifted in childcare centres, schools and school transport as of Saturday as well.
Wearing a mask is still recommended for vulnerable people, such as those who are elderly or have medical conditions that put them at risk.
Moreover, on Friday, the Association of Immunodeficient Patients of Quebec (APIQ) expressed its concerns. She reminds that people with immune problems will have to continue to take the necessary precautions to avoid the risk of serious or even fatal consequences on their health. It therefore asks the entire population to remain accommodating towards these people.
The decision to remove the mandatory wearing of masks was taken because the indicators of COVID-19 have been declining for several days, whether it is the number of cases, the number of health workers who are positive , the number of hospitalizations, as well as absences of primary and secondary students.
Quebec public health is still preparing for the arrival of a predictable seventh wave of coronavirus in the fall.
Doctor Jean Longtin, microbiologist-infectiologist at the CHU de Québec-Université Laval, recently argued that Quebec was not immune to a new variant and that public health will then have to ask the same questions as for previous waves, about vaccine efficacy and natural immunity. He expects another vaccination campaign to be required at this time.
Luc Boileau said that Quebec will do everything to avoid a reintroduction of coercive health measures. He foresees that people will spontaneously have protective reflexes if there were to be situations that would require it.