Quebec on Monday appeared to be the only province ready to buck the Canadian trend and prolong its mask mandate, as experts said face coverings are still an effective tool to limit COVID-19 transmission.
Currently only Quebec, P.E.I. and Nunavut still require masking in public places, with the latter two scheduled to end their mandates within the next week.
Other provinces have resisted calls to prolong or reimpose public health restrictions, even as cases have risen in some parts of the country. McGill chemistry professor and aerosols expert Parisa Ariya said there are "hundreds" of studies that have shown that masks are successful in reducing transmission. While efficacy varies, she said, those studies have shown that the ability to filter out the virus ranges from about 50 per cent for three-layer cloth masks to more than 90 per cent for top models.
Nearly all Canadian provinces have done away with mask mandates for public spaces in recent weeks, although some have maintained the order for schoolchildren or on public transit. "In Quebec, for example, you are getting higher numbers, but there is no reason that every place would be the same way," she said.
Isaac Bogoch, an infectious diseases expert with the University of Toronto, agreed that "masking is not going to stop a wave" — but he said that doesn't mean it's not helpful.
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