Despite a sharp rise in cases of COVID-19 across Canada, and a number of health officials, including Canada's top doctor and her Ontario counterpart over the last few days calling for a return of mask-wearing indoors, the federal government does not intend to reinstate a travel mask mandate.According to a report by CityNews, when asked this week, Canada's Transport Minister Omar Alghabra "gave no indication he is considering a return to mandates. However, he says wearing a face covering while travelling is the “kind thing to do” to protect others around us."
As Open Jaw reported, all of Canada's remaining COVID travel mandates expired on 01OCT, including the requirement for all travellers to wear masks on commercial flights and long-distance trains, show proof of vaccination and use the ArriveCAN app. At that time, case numbers had dropped, although a fall, seasonal new wave was anticipated. However, in dropping the restrictions, Canada's Health Minister indicated that travel mandates including masking could be reinstated if circumstances require.
And although he indicated that was not the case - at least for now - Alghabra this week said that masking up is the smart and socially responsible thing to do, especially during this seasonal spike in cases.
“I’m following the advice that doctors around the country are giving. We continue to say that masks are recommended on planes and at airports. I continue to wear my mask when I am travelling on a plane,” he said.
“We will continue to follow the advice of doctors. Right now, most of these decisions are based on recommendations, strongly recommending masks. So I ask people to follow that advice because, again, it’s the kind thing, not only for yourself, but the people around you.”
