He said it`s possible the decline in new COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations could slow once the mask requirement is lifted, but he doesn`t expect that to lead to an increase in new cases. The latest measures mean people will no longer have to wear masks when exercising outdoors and beaches and pools will be able to reopen from May 5. Two weeks later, on May 19, dining in restaurants will be extended until midnight, while bars will be able to stay open until 2 a.m., Chief Executive Carrie Lam said at a briefing on Tuesday. Plexiglass visors or barriers cannot replace masks or face coverings. Quebec will announce tomorrow that the wearing of masks will no longer be mandatory in public places as of May 14, with the exception of public transit centres and long-term care homes (CHSLDs). Epidemiologist Catherine Hankins, co-chair of the Canadian Task Force on COVID-19 immunity, told Reuters this month that a mask warrant was not yet required, but would be if the wave worsened. The Quebec government announced 10 days ago a plan to remove masks on public transit, a decision supported by provincial health authorities. Read more: COVID-19: Quebec extends the obligation to wear a mask until mid-May The mask rule, in effect since July 2020, expired at 12:01 p.m. and allows visitors to shops, bars, restaurants, gyms and shopping malls, as well as elementary and high school students, to wear a mask only if they wish. People wearing a mask or face covering must continue to apply other health protection measures. For more information, see Steps to limit the spread of infectious respiratory diseases. MONTREAL, April 5 (Reuters) – Quebec will require masks to be worn in indoor public spaces throughout April, delaying a plan to relax the measure until mid-month, as it and other Canadian provinces face a new wave of COVID-19, a senior health official said on Tuesday. P.E.I.
announced Tuesday that it will extend the requirement to wear a mask in public places in that province until April 28. Health Minister Christian Dubé said Friday that some Quebecers will continue to wear masks in public and that their personal choice should be respected. Griffin said he will spend the next few weeks figuring out how to safely get to doctor`s appointments. At the very least, the province should have maintained the mask requirement for basic services like grocery stores and pharmacies. However, masks will still be mandatory in some places, at least for now. Here`s what you need to know. Quebec is expected to announce Wednesday that it will lift the requirement to wear a mask in the province on May 14, 22 months after the measure was introduced. Students no longer need to wear masks for their activities, whether in class, cafeterias or hallways. The same goes for teachers. Boileau said masks will remain mandatory on public transport and in health facilities. It is also recommended in retirement homes and other facilities where vulnerable people may be accommodated. The provincial mask requirement has been in place since July 2020, for a total of 21 consecutive months.
Quebec was the last province to give up its mandate. Montreal universities have different approaches to mask mandates. The Université de Montréal indicated in an update published today that for the summer session, “masks must be worn at all times. It can only be removed in certain situations. This order may change during the semester. They are also needed in healthcare settings such as hospitals, where vulnerable populations are more likely to be exposed to COVID-19. (Psychiatric institutions don`t need the mask, though.) Boileau said people should also wear a mask if they have symptoms, saying, “You don`t have to be sure it`s COVID” to mask and be careful. Quebec will be the last province in Canada to lift its mask requirement. Prince Edward Island, the only other province to have a mandatory mask in public places, plans to lift the health care order starting Friday.
The mask announcement came on the same day that the Institut de la statistique du Québec announced that the province`s life expectancy had risen to 83 years in 2021 after “dropping significantly” in 2020 due to COVID-19. The life expectancy of Quebecers reached 82.9 years in 2019 before falling back to 82.3 years in 2020. Quebecers are no longer required to wear masks in most interior parts of the province. Public transit users in Quebec will no longer be required to wear a mask. Ontario, Canada`s most populous province, last month dropped its mask requirement in all regions except health care facilities and public transit. The Ministry of Health said Tuesday that local health units can take their own actions and that hospitals across the province can manage the increase, although the Ontario Science Advisory Table is revising its modeling. Dr. Catherine Hankins, a professor of public health at McGill University, said that with the warmer weather, the time has come for Quebec to lift its mask requirement.
Wearing a mask will also be optional on school transportation, as students have spent the whole day together. Universities and CEGEPs can set their own rules requiring students and staff to wear masks. In some workplaces, wearing a mask may be mandatory, especially for medical staff. Donald Vinh, a physician at the McGill University Health Centre in Montreal, has called on Quebec to reinstate the requirement to wear a mask in indoor public places to prevent further disease and death. Elementary and secondary schools have abolished the requirement to wear masks.