Quebec's indoor mask mandate hits one-year anniversary
It's been one year since Quebecers were first required to wear masks in indoor public spaces and, despite dwindling numbers of daily COVID-19 cases in the province, the regulation remains in place.
The province's mask mandate was first introduced on July 18, 2020, with significant fines being handed out to those who refused to comply. The mask mandate was also followed by numerous protests in the province against public health regulations connected to the pandemic.
Linda Pagani, a psychologist at the Universite de Montreal, said a year of wearing masks might have affected Quebecers in more subtle ways.
“A lot of people might feel it's conformity, people like to be autonomous, especially in our society,” she said. “But then there's the more important factor, which is... 70 per cent of our communication is facial. Because of that, we miss the whole part of facial expression that will make clear our position in our convesration. People walk away feeling frustrated.”
Pagani noted that, direct benefits aside, masks have provided other benefits.
“There's the collective message you're giving to people that we are in COVID and we are in a risk situation. That is a collective message (saying) that it's important we all comply,” she said. “The fact of the matter is, we are very reassuring when we wear a mask.”
While no exact date for the mask rule's lifting has been given, the Quebec government has indicated it plans to lift it once 75 per cent of the province's population has been fully vaccinated.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
Residents of northern Alberta First Nation told to shelter in place
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'