Mask mandates may be lifted, but now is not the time take them off, experts say

With restrictions lifting across Canada as a sixth COVID-19 wave hits parts of the country, individual responsibility and personal choice appear to be the default public health measure, leaving some asking: when will it be safe to stop wearing face masks? CTVNews.ca asked health experts to weigh in.

Most provinces have already lifted mask mandates and other restrictions. Quebec, which is now allowing 100 per cent capacity in public spaces, is planning on removing most public mask requirements except on public transportation by mid-April. PEI is set to lift theirs this month too. In Ontario, requirements have already been removed except for public transit and a few other exceptions like health-care settings. All this comes as wastewater data from a number of provinces suggest a clear rise in COVID-19 and hospitalization figures that are also edging higher.

With public health messaging that strongly recommends masking, but doesn’t make it a requirement, CTVNews.ca asked some health experts to weigh in on what they look when deciding when to stop wearing masks.

With PCR testing very limited and a highly-transmissible BA.2 subvariant circulating, raw case numbers are no longer a reliable indicator of the COVID-19 situation, experts say.

“What is important to note right now is that based on wastewater and test positivity …we are just really seeing a resurgence. Numbers are going up,” Dr. Peter Juni, the head of Ontario’s COVID-19 Science Advisory Table said in a phone interview.