As Quebec battles a sixth wave of COVID-19 infections, officials are considering prolonging the province-wide mask mandate.
Quebec Premier Francois Legault said he will discuss the matter with public health at a meeting Monday evening.
“For masks it’s one of the things we will look at — should we extend it? I think it’s a measure that is easy to apply and it’s effective. It will be discussed,” he said.
Currently only Quebec, PEI and Nunavut still require masking in public places, with the latter two scheduled to end their mandates within the next week.
Other provinces have resisted calls to prolong or reimpose public health restrictions, even as cases have risen in some parts of the country.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Monday that his province, which has seen a one-week, 30 per cent rise in hospitalizations, can manage what he described as a “little spike” in COVID-19.
STILL A TOP TOOL
Experts such as McGill chemistry professor Parisa Ariya say masks are still an effective tool to limit transmission of the virus.
An aerosols expert, Ariya says that while masking cannot fully stop a COVID-19 wave, it remains one of the best defences to cut transmission and protect the wearer and those around them.
With files from CTV’s Lillian Roy and Kelly Greig.
- This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 4, 2022.
