Quebec is extending the province’s mask mandate in indoor public spaces until at least April 30, the province’s top doctor announced Tuesday. Interim public health director Dr. Luc Boileau explained the decision at a news conference Tuesday, saying the surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations amid the province’s sixth wave prompted him to recommend maintaining the measure — just 10 […]
As the level of coronavirus showing up in Ottawa’s wastewater continues its steady climb, one epidemiologist says public health officials need to beef up promotion of the importance of masking and three-dose vaccination. Raywat Deonandan, an epidemiologist and associate professor at the University of Ottawa, said the city doesn’t need to bring back more public health restrictions, but […]
One of Ottawa’s top doctors says a recent rise in COVID-19 transmission likely reflects the dropping of public indoor capacity limits earlier this month, and that it’s too soon to tell whether lifting the mask mandate is to blame. On Wednesday, Dr. Brent Moloughney, Ottawa Public Health’s deputy medical officer of Health, released a statement noting that the city’s wastewater […]
Canada’s top doctor says masks are a “fundamental layer of protection” against COVID-19 even as some provinces ditch mandates to wear them. “Whether your jurisdiction requires it or not or whether your setting requires it or not, it’s something you can do to protect yourself and others,” Dr. Theresa Tam, the country’s chief public health officer, said during […]
The professional body representing Canadian pediatricians is questioning the rationale behind Alberta lifting masking requirements in schools for students. In a series of statements on social media, the Canadian Paediatric Society said lifting mask mandates when so few children are vaccinated increases the risk of COVID-19 exposure while at school. “Mask-wearing reduces the risk of […]
The new COVID-19 variant Omicron has been a game changer in terms of how health-care professionals handle the pandemic. Omicron has spread quickly, leaving many people unsure about how to keep themselves and others safe. Regina infectious diseases specialist Dr. Alex Wong took some time to speak to The Morning Edition host Stefani Langenegger and answer […]
The full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the environment will take years to fully understand, but a new study from the University of Portsmouth in the U.K. is giving a first look at just how much litter stemmed from the first wave. Published Thursday in the journal Nature Sustainability, the study “Increased personal protective equipment […]
Your cloth mask may not be as protective as you’d like, especially as we head indoors. Now that the cold weather has hit and people are moving inside, many doctors and scientists are urging Canadians not only to resist getting complacent about wearing masks to protect against COVID-19 — but also to take a closer look at whether that […]
Layering protection of masks, ventilation and filtration can help fight airborne spread. Canadians looking for guidance on how to reduce their risk of COVID-19 indoors this winter may be feeling left out in the cold. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) now recommends opening windows to increase ventilation and using HEPA filters to clean indoor air, but it […]
As provinces look at gradually lifting COVID-19 restrictions, masks should be among the last things to go, experts say, even with high vaccination rates. That’s Ontario’s current plan – while it’s subject to change, the province anticipates lifting mask mandates in March 2022, after other measures like capacity limits and proof-of-vaccination requirements are already gone. This is […]