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Tag: universal masking

Topic: British ColumbiaView all posts for the topic: British Columbia

Health group calls on B.C. to bring back mask mandates in medical settings

Published February 12, 2026

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Published by: Daily Hive
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By Hanna Hett

In March 2025, the Province dropped its health-care mask requirement. DoNoHarm BC, an organization advocating for it to be reinstated, had been hoping that they would do so once respiratory illness season started last fall.

“We watched other provinces reenact these seasonal mask mandates, and waited and waited,” Beth Campbell Duke, a science educator, told Daily Hive. “We had a letter-writing campaign, and still there was no response.”

While people who are immunocompromised or immunosuppressed are most at risk, she said that it poses a risk to everyone because no one knows how COVID-19 infection could impact them.

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Topic: British ColumbiaView all posts for the topic: British Columbia

Independent health groups urge BC to reinstate and improve healthcare mask protections

Published February 12, 2026

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Published by: DoNoHarm BC
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DoNoHarm BC and Protect Our Province BC warn of patient harm, staff shortages, and rising international risks February 12, 2026 (British Columbia, Canada) – Independent public…

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Topic: universal maskingView all posts for the topic: universal masking

Face masks ‘inadequate’ and should be swapped for respirators, WHO is advised

Experts are urging guideline changes on what health professionals should wear to protect against flu-like illnesses including Covid

Published January 9, 2026

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Published by: The Guardian
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By Kat Lay

Surgical face masks provide inadequate protection against flu-like illnesses including Covid, and should be replaced by respirator-level masks – worn every time doctors and nurses are face to face with a patient, according to a group of experts urging changes to World Health Organization guidelines.

There is “no rational justification remaining for prioritising or using” the surgical masks that are ubiquitous in hospitals and clinics globally, given their “inadequate protection against airborne pathogens”, they said in a letter to WHO chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

“There is even less justification for allowing healthcare workers to wear no face covering at all,” they said.

Continue readingFace masks ‘inadequate’ and should be swapped for respirators, WHO is advised
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Topic: AlbertaView all posts for the topic: Alberta

Masks now required for patients, visitors at 4 Edmonton hospitals

Published December 23, 2025

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Published by: CTV News
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By Hannah Kavanagh

Alberta Health Services (AHS) has instituted a masking requirement for four hospitals in the Edmonton area.

An enhanced masking directive is in place at Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, Royal Alexandra Hospital, Stollery Children’s Hospital and the University of Alberta Hospital.

This means all patients, designated support persons and visitors must wear a mask in the emergency departments of the above acute care facilities. There are signs at the front entrance of each location signalling where enhanced masking is happening, AHS says.

Continue readingMasks now required for patients, visitors at 4 Edmonton hospitals
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Topic: Nova ScotiaView all posts for the topic: Nova Scotia

Masks now required at all Nova Scotia Health sites

Published December 18, 2025

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Published by: CTV News
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By Natalie Lombard

Nova Scotia Health says masking is required throughout all its facilities beginning Thursday.

However, the health authority says masks are not required in:

  • administrative buildings
  • private offices, nursing stations, or conference rooms (if no patients are present)
  • cafeterias (when people are seated)
  • patient bed-spaces (for patients, partners, and visitors)
Continue readingMasks now required at all Nova Scotia Health sites
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Topic: Ottawa-GatineauView all posts for the topic: Ottawa-Gatineau

Return of mandatory masking in Outaouais hospitals

Published December 9, 2025

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Published by: Radio-Canada
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By Benjamin Vachet

The Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux (CISSS) de l’Outaouais has decided to reinstate mandatory mask wearing upon entry into its care facilities.

Starting on Tuesday, wearing a mask is mandatory in hospital centres, including the outpatient ward, the Pierre-Janet mental health hospital (including units 5 and 6 of the juvenile wing), the Physical rehabilitation centre, La RessourSe, residential and long-term care centres and seniors’ homes and alternative housing.

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Topic: British ColumbiaView all posts for the topic: British Columbia

Opinion: Don’t wait for B.C. public health to protect you this flu season

Published December 6, 2025

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Published by: Surrey Now-Leader
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By Dr. Lyne Filiatrault

Ten years ago, I took on a physician leadership position at my health authority that gave me a glimpse into the workings of its hospitals.

During a particular meeting that has remained burned into my memory, the department head for medicine was shaking his head in disbelief at having to state the obvious: “Why is it that every year, just like snow in winter, we know flu is coming, and yet every year flu catches us by surprise?”

The room fell silent.

Continue readingOpinion: Don’t wait for B.C. public health to protect you this flu season
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Topic: OntarioView all posts for the topic: Ontario

Ontario wrote off $1.4B of PPE, province burning expired equipment: auditor

Province still buying masks, other protective gear at same levels as height of the pandemic

Published December 2, 2025

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Published by: CBC News / The Canadian Press
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By Liam Casey

Ontario wrote off more than one billion items of personal protective equipment at a cost of $1.4 billion since 2021, the province’s auditor general found.

Shelley Spence found the province continues to purchase masks, gowns and other protective gear at the same levels as the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, despite significantly declining demand.

“We found that expired products began to accumulate in the provincial stockpile as some of the products purchased during the pandemic fell short of desired quality standards and were not used,” Spence wrote in her annual report.

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Topic: Ottawa-GatineauView all posts for the topic: Ottawa-Gatineau

Here are CHEO’s new visitor guidelines as flu season begins

Published November 14, 2025

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Published by: Ottawa Citizen
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By Elizabeth Payne

CHEO is reinstating public health measures for visitors to the hospital as viral season begins.

Beginning Monday (Nov. 17), visitors will be asked to wear masks while in all waiting areas and during clinical interactions. CHEO will also begin limiting visitors. There will be a limit of one caregiver for patients attending appointments, and no visitors under the age of 12 — including siblings — will be allowed.

The precautions are being taken to help reduce the spread of viruses and protect those who visit the hospital and its community locations, spokesperson Karl Oczkowski said.

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Topic: TorontoView all posts for the topic: Toronto

Mask mandate returns to UHN facilities ahead of respiratory virus season

Published November 14, 2025

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Published by: TorontoToday
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University Health Network (UHN) has announced a new requirement for staff, patients and visitors to wear a mask when inside its facilities.

Masks must be worn in all UHN facilities, including Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital and the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre as of Tuesday, Nov. 18.

All staff, patients and visitors will be expected to wear a mask in physician offices, waiting rooms for clinics, the emergency department and other outpatient clinical areas. Patients and staff must also wear a mask when delivering or receiving direct care, or when staff are closely interacting with patients in inpatient, outpatient and emergency clinical areas.

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The CSA’s revised standard on respirators should help us all breathe easierPhoto of a doctor (right) who is examining a patient (left). The doctor is wearing a white respirator, and she has long dark hair.
Topic: universal maskingView all posts for the topic: universal masking

The CSA’s revised standard on respirators should help us all breathe easier

Published November 10, 2025

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Published by: The Conversation
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By Dick Zoutman, Julia M. Wright, Mark Ungrin, Ryan Tennant

The CSA Group — a not-for-profit standards organization — released for review a new draft standard on the “Selection, Use, and Care of Respirators” (CSA Z94.4:25) for workplaces, specifically including health care. This new standard is designed to ensure much better protection for health-care workers and for everyone seeking health care.

Continue readingThe CSA’s revised standard on respirators should help us all breathe easier
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Topic: Newfoundland and LabradorView all posts for the topic: Newfoundland and Labrador

COVID-19 cases, vaccine campaigns helped prompt mask mandate’s return, doctor says

Published October 30, 2025

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Published by: CBC News
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By Elizabeth Whitten

A temporary mask mandate is coming back to Newfoundland and Labrador’s hospitals and long-term care facilities, and one doctor says the driving force is two-fold — a rise in COVID-19 cases and the availability of vaccines.

On Wednesday, Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services announced it was temporarily bringing back mandatory masking in clinical settings effective Monday. The release cited an increase in infectious diseases circulating.

“The timing of the mask requirement was a little bit deliberate to coincide with the timing of the COVID-19 and influenza vaccine campaigns,” Dr. Natalie Bridger, an infectious disease specialist, told CBC Radio’s The St. John’s Morning Show.

Continue readingCOVID-19 cases, vaccine campaigns helped prompt mask mandate’s return, doctor says
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Topic: MontrealView all posts for the topic: Montreal

Jewish General Hospital reinstates mask mandate as flu season kicks in early

Published October 23, 2025

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Published by: Montreal Gazette
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By Aaron Derfel

The Jewish General Hospital has reinstated a mask mandate for medical staff as the flu season has begun much earlier than usual this year, prompting fears that some elderly and vulnerable individuals might not get their vaccines on time.

“It’s not a bad thing to reinstate wearing masks in a hospital because you have sick people by default and you have high-risk patients,” Dr. Karl Weiss, chief of the division of infectious diseases at the Jewish General, told The Gazette.

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Topic: PhilippinesView all posts for the topic: Philippines

Quezon reinstates mandatory face masks amid flu-like illnesses spike

Published October 19, 2025

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Published by: Philippine Daily Inquirer
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By Delfin T. Mallari Jr.

LUCENA CITY — Citing a spike in influenza-like illnesses, Quezon Governor Angelina Tan has reinstated the mandatory wearing of face masks.

“Due to the increasing number of cases of illnesses such as colds, coughs, influenza-like illness, and severe respiratory infections like community-acquired pneumonia—and in accordance with Executive Order No. DHT-60—the wearing of face masks is hereby strictly mandated in all indoor settings, as well as in outdoor areas where physical distancing cannot be observed,” Tan, a medical doctor, said in a Facebook post on Sunday afternoon, Oct. 19.

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Topic: PEIView all posts for the topic: PEI

P.E.I. hospitals bring back mask mandates as experts warn of viral surge across Canada

Published October 16, 2025

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Published by: CTV News
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By Maria Sarrouh

Mandatory masking is back at health facilities across Prince Edward Island as public health officials work to reduce the spread of respiratory illnesses.

The newest numbers from Canada’s respiratory virus surveillance report show that during the week ending Oct. 4, COVID-19 activity was increasing on the Island, with about 20 per cent of tests coming back positive. Nationally, the average was under 10 per cent.

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Topic: PEIView all posts for the topic: PEI

Masks will be required in all Health P.E.I. facilities starting Oct. 14

Published October 10, 2025

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Published by: CBC News
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By Brittany Spencer, Marilee Devries

Officials with Health P.E.I. say people will have to wear masks inside all of the provincial health authority’s facilities beginning next week.

The policy is being put in place in response to the growing presence of respiratory illnesses on the Island.

Lara MacMurdo, director of occupational health, safety and wellness with Health P.E.I., said rates of respiratory illness are often higher this time of year.

Continue readingMasks will be required in all Health P.E.I. facilities starting Oct. 14
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Topic: N95 respiratorsView all posts for the topic: N95 respirators

Pushing for a national N95 masking standard

Published September 16, 2025

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Published by: The Peak
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By Niveja Assalaarachchi

On June 20, the Canadian Standards Association, also known as the CSA Group, released a new draft version of CSA standard Z94.4, which was open to public consultation until August 19. It sets to regulate workplace standards around “the selection, use, and care of respirators.” The CSA Group is a non-profit organization which creates non-legally binding but precedent-setting regulations for professional workplace standards. As reported by DoNoHarm BC, the rule changes would see new nationwide respirator requirements that mandate the use of respirators like N95 masks instead of surgical masks by workers, patients, and visitors in healthcare settings.

The CSA Group’s new draft has received praise from healthcare advocates and workers alike. DoNoHarm BC was one of the leading organizations pushing the public to support and contribute to the CSA Group’s consultation process.

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Topic: New BrunswickView all posts for the topic: New Brunswick

Horizon resumes mandatory masking as respiratory illnesses rise in N.B.

Published September 2, 2025

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Published by: CBC News
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By Bobbi-Jean MacKinnon

Horizon Health Network has reintroduced mandatory masking in all patient-facing clinical areas in all of its facilities, starting Wednesday, citing a rise in respiratory virus activity.

All health-care workers, patients, social visitors, and designated support people will be required to wear a medical grade face mask, also known as a surgical or procedure mask, at all times in all inpatient units, outpatient/ambulatory care clinics and emergency departments, and any other clinical setting, including waiting areas.

“With this upward trend, and knowing this time of year historically leads to further increase of viral transmission, Horizon is taking a proactive and precautionary measure,” the regional health authority said in a news release Tuesday.

Continue readingHorizon resumes mandatory masking as respiratory illnesses rise in N.B.
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