Ended the wearing of the mandatory mask in Quebec as of midnight | Coronavirus


It will no longer be necessary to wear a face covering in restaurants, in theaters, in bars, in places of worship, in sports centers, in training rooms, but also in schools, in early childhood centers as well as in school transport.

All the indicators monitored by the health authorities being on the decline (deaths, infections, hospitalizations, positivity rate, absenteeism in the health network and schools), the acting national director of public health, Dr. confirmed on Wednesday that the sixth wave of COVID-19 was indeed coming to an end in Quebec.

Not the end of the mask, however

Public health nevertheless continues to recommend wearing a mask to protect against COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Dr. Luc Boileau reiterated several times that the lifting of the obligation does not mean its abolition. And even less that the pandemic is over, he hammered.

This is why wearing a mask will remain compulsory until further notice on public transport as well as in all health establishments, including medical clinics, RPA and the CHSLD.

A masked nurse talks to a bedridden patient in a hospital room.

The mask remains compulsory in all health establishments as well as in public transport.

Photo: Getty Images/Tempura

Also, all people who wish to continue wearing a face covering to protect themselves and others are invited to do so, starting with the elderly, sick, immunosuppressed or whose state of health exposes them more to complications. medical.

Wearing a mask could also be maintained by some employers for health and safety reasons in certain factories or in businesses where personal services are offered, such as hair salons or beauty clinics, for example.

Quebecers are therefore invited to respect those who choose to continue to wear the mask, as well as those who decide not to.

In this regard, the Association of Immunodeficient Patients of Quebec (APIQ), reminds that people who suffer from immune problems must continue to wear the mask and take the necessary precautions. to avoid the risk of serious or even fatal consequences on their health.

This is why the association asks the population to be accommodating to these people.

The heavy burden on millions of Quebecers who have had to adopt regular mask wearing for two years remains a daily struggle for immunosuppressed and immunodeficient Quebecers who already wore them routinely before the pandemic. »

A quote from The Association of Immunodeficient Patients of Quebec, in a press release

Immunocompromised people are also encouraged to wear the “Immunoclip” on their mask – an indicator bearing a I red that attaches to the mask – to indicate to people their fragile health condition.

An Immunoclip on a mask.

Immunocompromised people are encouraged to wear the “Immunoclip” to let people know of their particular health condition.

Photo: Radio-Canada/Pierre-Alexandre Bolduc

665 days later

Casually, Quebecers have been required to wear face coverings in public indoors for almost 22 months.

The decree, accompanied by fines ranging from $400 to $6,000 for offenders, came into force on July 18, 2020, on the orders of the Legault government, which was then under significant media and political pressure.

The compulsory wearing of the mask had been maintained since then in Quebec, despite its abandonment in the majority of the provinces of the country in recent months.

The announcement of its lifting was eagerly awaited in Quebec, especially since it had been postponed twice due to the high number of hospitalizations and cases of infection in the population at the end of winter. It was first to come into force on April 5, before being postponed by the authorities to April 21 and finally to May 14.

This time seems the right one…



Reference-ici.radio-canada.ca

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