Transport Canada has mandated that starting April 20th, all passengers travelling by air in Canada will be required to wear non-medical masks or face coverings.
Effective at 9 a.m. PST on Monday April 20th, travellers will have to cover their nose and mouth in the following situations:
- at Canadian airport screening checkpoints,
- when they cannot physically distance from others, or as directed by the airline employees, and
- when directed to do so by a public health order or public health official.
“Canadians should continue to follow public health advice and stay at home if possible,” said Transport Minister Marc Garneau in a statement.
“However, if you need to travel, wearing a face covering is an additional measure you can take to protect others around you, especially in situations where physical distancing guidelines cannot be maintained.”
See also: Canada’s top doctor says wearing non-medical masks could help curb spread of COVID-19
Those who are arriving at or departing from airports in Canada will not be allowed to continue their journey unless they show that they have a mask or face covering on hand.
Ferry operators and essential marine passenger vessels will be required to let travellers know about the need to have a non-medical mask or face covering during their journey when they cannot maintain physical distance from others.
Those who fail to comply could be denied boarding.
Passengers on buses and trains are also encouraged to wear masks, and could be asked to cover their mouth and nose when physical distancing is not possible.
At the beginning of April, public health officials in Canada started endorsing the use of non-medical masks as a step that could help curb the spread of COVID-19 in addition to physical distancing.
The mask prevents or reduces the chances of respiratory droplets coming into contact with another person or landing on surfaces.
Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, has emphasized that medical masks, like N95 masks, should not be used by members of the community as they need to be reserved for health care workers.
Further, there is no evidence to suggest that wearing non-medical masks offers any protection to the person wearing it.
See all the latest updates about the global COVID-19 pandemic on Vancouver Island
The BCCDC has set up a 2019 novel coronavirus telephone information line at 1-833-784-4397 for those who have further questions about this disease.
Anyone concerned that they may have been exposed to, or are experiencing symptoms of the novel coronavirus, should contact their primary care provider, local public health office, or call 8-1-1.
The Province has also created the 1-888-COVID-19 line to connect British Columbians needing non-medical information about the coronavirus pandemic.
As of the time of publication, the total number of COVID-19 patients worldwide has risen to 2,235,370.
Over 153,800 people have died from the illness and 569,937 have made a full recovery.
