Here's why BC is not going back to a mask mandate

British Columbia's provincial health officer does not believe we’re in a situation where everyone should be mandated to wear a mask in public indoor settings.

There has been a call from some for the mask mandate imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic to return, given the prevalence of the virus along with other respiratory illnesses.

However, Dr. Bonnie Henry said while influenza cases are up, 90 per cent of people in the province have some immunity to the COVID-19 virus through vaccination and infection or both.

“Mask mandates were in the context of where we needed them to be worn by everybody over broad settings [during the pandemic], in the context that we were in at the time,” Henry told a media briefing Wednesday. “So, I don’t see a mandate as being required by itself right now in the situation that we’re in.”

Henry said masks are an important tool, but they should be used in situations where it makes sense, including in health care settings. She said B.C.'s hospitals are seeing an increase in influenza, which is preventable by getting a vaccine.

A group of advocates in B.C. have written an open letter to senior officials calling on the province to reintroduce the mandate to lessen the burden on the health care system, citing a surge in respiratory cases that saw, for example, pediatric ICU beds at the Ottawa Children’s Hospital reach capacity. The group said, in part, a return to masking would highlight the seriousness of the surge in respiratory illnesses, help reduce the spread of sickness, and limit further disruption to children’s’ schooling.

But when asked if the mask mandate should return for students, Henry said schools are not uncontrolled environments and suggested the overall wellbeing of children encompassed a balanced approach to mask-wearing.

'We've put a lot of pressure on young kids'

“There are lots of things that children do in schools and it’s really important to normalize that,” she explained. “We’ve put a lot of pressure on young kids, they’ve suffered through this pandemic in many, many ways.”

Henry said it is crucial to make the school environment inclusive where masks are available and kids are trained to wear them, [but] “… where it’s normalized when they need to wear them.

“We’re not in a situation right now where I think every single child and adult in a school setting has to wear a mask all the time; that’s what a mask mandate is. We’re not in that situation,” she said, stressing kids need a well-rounded blend of activities, in-person learning, and social connections.

Henry said the focus in schools includes good ventilation, making sure they are cleaned properly and that children are educated on the importance of cleaning their hands, covering their mouth, and when to wear a mask.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Adrian Dix said 1.2 million people have received their flu shot this year, already twice as many as last year.

He said the province is opening more hospital beds in preparation for the flu season, but the situation isn't as desperate as in other provinces.

--With files from The Canadian Press