Canada is in no hurry to revoke its mandate for masks for airplanes, trains and other federally regulated public transportation, officials said Tuesday, despite the end of a similar rule in the United States this week.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Transport Minister Omar Algabra said the government would continue to follow science when assessing the need for COVID-19-related procurement.
“So far there is no change in our regulations,” Algabra told reporters in Calgary.
“We are constantly consulting with our experts and whenever the advice we receive changes due to changing circumstances, we will change our regulations. But for now, that’s what it is. “
1:57 COVID-19: US removes mandates for masks for domestic flights, public transport COVID-19: US removes mandates for masks for domestic flights, public transport
Read more: US judge revokes plane and train mask mandate despite growing COVID-19 cases
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A federal judge in Florida on Monday overturned a Biden administration rule requiring masks to be worn on planes, trains and other public transportation systems.
U.S. District Judge Catherine Kimball Misel wrote in her ruling that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) failed to justify its mandate and did not follow proper rules-making procedures that left it fatally inadequate.
Within hours of the decision, the US Transportation Security Administration said it would no longer impose the mask requirement, and airports and major US airlines quickly followed suit. Uber also announced that passengers in the United States can ride without a mask, although the company still recommends wearing one.
The CDC recently extended the mandate of the mask, which was due to expire on Monday, until May 3 to give more time to study the BA.2 sub-variant Omicron, which is now responsible for most COVID-19 cases in the United States.
1:56 The use of airline masks to continue in Canada. The use of masks at airlines to continue in Canada
Algabra did not comment on Misel’s decision, but said data continued to show that the masks offered an extra layer of protection against COVID-19.
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He added that he was confident that Canadians would continue to comply with government regulations despite the potential for confusion among Canadian-US travelers.
“I am not happy about these provisions, except that I know they were made to protect everyone’s health and safety,” he said.
Speaking in Dalhousie, NB, later Tuesday, Trudeau was unclear about the future of the mandate for passenger masks, saying the government is constantly re-evaluating scientific and expert advice to find the right “balance”.
“People want to stay safe, but they also want to get back to the things they love,” he said.
Read more: Travelers entering Canada must still wear masks for 14 days after arrival
“The best way to do this is to rely on what science tells us, what experts tell us, and make sure we move forward in the right way.”
A Transport Canada official told Global News that the U.S. court ruling did not affect Canada’s mandate, which applies to domestic and international carriers for the duration of each flight, “whether or not it is entirely in Canada.”
1:41 How to protect yourself during the 6th wave How to protect yourself during the 6th wave
The Canadian mandate requires passengers and employees to wear masks at airports and railway terminals while on board airplanes and trains. Passengers must also be fully vaccinated with vaccines before boarding any domestic or international flight departing from most Canadian airports.
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Travelers entering Canada by plane or across land must wear a mask in all public places for 14 days – despite a federal rule that runs counter to most provinces that have waived their own indoor mask mandates.
Anyone entering Canada should also monitor all close contact for two weeks and closely monitor for symptoms of COVID-19, according to Ottawa rules.
Public health officials, including Canada’s chief public health officer, Theresa Tam, continue to encourage Canadians to continue wearing masks indoors as cases and hospitalizations creep up again.
He said last week that Canada was now in the sixth wave of the pandemic, which is also fueled by sub-option BA.2, adding that masks should be worn, whether local officials “recommend it or not”.
– with files from Reggie Chekini, Richard Zusman and the Associated Press
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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