(Ottawa) Travelers remain strongly encouraged – but not obliged – by Ottawa to wear a mask on the plane and on the train, argued Thursday the Minister of Transport, after a meeting with the Chief Public Health Officer from Canada.
After meeting Thursday morning with the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada, DD Theresa Tam, Minister Omar Alghabra indicated that the Canadian government will continue to follow the advice of experts and will maintain this recommendation for the time being. The Minister clarified that he himself wore a mask when he traveled by plane and that it was a good thing to do.
“Given the pressure our hospitals are facing and our healthcare system, I think it’s the right thing to do to protect others around us,” he said.
His comment comes as many provincial governments have debated in recent days whether mask-wearing should once again become mandatory inside buildings.
Most provinces removed their COVID-19 restrictions, including mask requirements, earlier this year. The federal government removed all COVID-19 restrictions in early October, including quarantine for unvaccinated foreign travelers and mandatory mask-wearing on planes and trains in Canada.
Alghabra said Ottawa will continue to follow medical advice and the data.
Last week, in a virtual situation update, Dr. Tam said the combined “increased growth” of COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus variants poses a challenge to the health system. health in several regions of the country.
Mme Tam had then warned that it was necessary to “reinforce precautions”.
Earlier in the week, Quebec’s Minister of Health and Premier François Legault recommended people wear masks in public places. Other regions have also recommended wearing a mask, but none have brought back the obligation to wear it.
The DD Tam said on social media on Thursday that vaccinations, masks and staying home when people are sick offer the best protection, especially when combined.
“Actions to reduce the spread of respiratory viruses can lessen their impact on us (and) the healthcare system,” she said.
In Ontario, the Dr Kieran Moore, the province’s chief medical officer of health, urged people to start masking up again as the healthcare system faces “extraordinary pressures”. Children’s hospitals across the province are reporting huge increases in pediatric intensive care admissions.
There are 114 children in intensive care units in Ontario, two more than the maximum for which the system is equipped.
However, Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones said Thursday that the rate of increase in respiratory illnesses driving the deluge of hospitalizations appears to be slowing.
“I’m not going to assume that means we’re plateauing, but we’re seeing a slowdown in the percentage increase, which is a good sign,” Jones said.
Doctors in Nova Scotia are also expressing concern as the province faces an extremely high number of sick children in hospitals with respiratory illnesses. The Dr Andrew Lynk, head of pediatrics at IWK Children’s Hospital in Halifax, said he’s seeing more patients than he’s seen in his more than 30-year career.
The Dr Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health, said Thursday he does not support mandatory mask-wearing, but “encourages people to wear masks in crowded indoor spaces.”