Lifting of the wearing of the mask: the Outaouais soon free to choose

Quebec’s acting national director of public health, Dr. Luc Boileau, confirmed Wednesday that he recommends ending mandatory mask wearing in most public spaces by mid-May. A recommendation that was accepted by the Legault government.

The CISSS de l’Outaouais comes out on top

This new announcement of the lifting of the wearing of the mask by the government will be the good one, while it postponed its deadline twice in April.

The Outaouais Integrated Health and Social Services Center (CISSS) believes that the postponement of the relaxation has benefited the region.

Considering that we were still in a situation of intense community activity or transmission, the mask was really a way to help us limit transmissionexplains Dr. Brigitte Pinard, director of public health at the CISSSIntegrated Health and Social Services Center of the Outaouais.

When we look at our data from last week, we can see that we are also in a downtrend situation.she adds.

Dr. Pinard also notes that indicators such as the number of new infections, hospitalizations and outbreaks are improving, making it possible to pass at another stage.

Caution is always in order, she recalls, while other waves of contamination could take place.

Lifting the wearing of mandatory masks in public places is not expected to lead to an increase in cases and hospitalizations. We could see some slowing downsays Dr. Pinard. However, we must remain cautious, we will continue to recommend wearing a mask.

Access to masks in CPEs requested

The educators will also be able to put aside their mask on May 14. The Union of Workers in CPEEarly childhood Center de l’Outaouais (STCPEO-CSN) will continue to recommend that it be worn when children or educators show symptoms.

Its spokesperson, Najoua Zitouni, asks the government to continue, beyond this date, to provide a sufficient quantity of masks for educators who would like to continue wearing them.

It remains a choice of the educators and the personnel who work in the CPEEarly childhood Centershe argues. We are always very close to the children.

The Syndicate says it is mixed, while the 6^and wave gradually begins to fade. There are still sick peopleunderlines Ms. Zitouni who believes that the government could have waited until June before the entry into force of this relaxation.

The last barrier that remainsaccording to the Chamber of Commerce

With the end of the last wave and the return of good weather, the general manager of the Gatineau Chamber of Commerce is optimistic that the commercial arteries are coming alive again.

Although Stefan Psenak does not believe that lifting the requirement to wear a mask in indoor public places will help the economy recover, he believes that the timing is right.

What it sends us is a signal that we are out of crisishe believes. We are in the phase now we really have to learn to live with the virus.

” People really need to see each other again, to follow the slightly more normal course of life as we knew it before COVID-19. »

Mr. Psenak recalls that although the mask will no longer be mandatory in mid-May, employees who will be more comfortable continuing to wear it will still be able to do so.

It is to be expected that there will be people who wear the maskhe continues, insisting on the importance of respecting the choice of others.

management much more careful than Ontario, says expert

If Ontario has lifted the obligation to wear a mask since March, the virologist and professor at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa, Dr. Hugues Loemba, believes that the patience of Quebecers and the caution of the Legault government will have been necessary.

Quebec chooses the right momenthe says, while the province will be the last in the country to lift this obligation.

Now we are well anchored in the spring, people will be outside morehe notes. We are on the downward slope of the sixth wave.

Dr. Loemba believes that March 21 was not the optimal time to lift this obligation in Ontario. We were just at the beginning of the increase of this 6th wavehe points out.

the timing was not good. We had to remove this mask in a certain way at a certain time, but it was not the right time on March 21hammers the virologist.

With information from Catherine Morasse and Julien David-Pelletier