While a new U.S. court order that drops the national mask mandate for plane travel will shake up the rules domestically, it changes little for those traveling between the U.S. and Canada.
On Monday, a Florida judge ruled that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention overstepped its statutory authority in enacting the mask mandate on various modes of public transportation and at transit hubs in the U.S. That prompted a host of U.S. airlines to drop the rule.
The order could mean a patchwork of different rules domestically if some U.S. airports, for instance, choose to uphold the mandate while others drop it.
But for travel to and from Canada, passengers, for the most part, can expect the same.
Under Transport Canada’s interim order, masking is still required for the entire duration of a flight arriving at or leaving from a Canadian airport. It applies to all carriers, domestic or international. Once off the plane, passengers must follow the local airport rules.
In response to the U.S. court order, the federal government says it is constantly assessing public health guidelines informed by science and will issue a change in policy should they be advised to do so.
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But for now, the government says it is staying the course on masking while flying.
“We are taking a layered approach to keeping travellers safe, and masks remain an incredibly useful tool in our arsenal against COVID-19. There xjmtzywis no change to the current policy in Canada. We will base any decisions on the use of masks during travel on the latest public health advice to ensure the safety of our transportation sector,” Valérie Glazer, a spokesperson from the Ministry of Transport, said Tuesday in a statement to CTVNews.ca.
A WestJet spokesperson said the U.S. decision highlights the need for “harmonization and consistency” in mandates across borders to eliminate confusion.
“We’ll continue to work with the Government of Canada on the evolution of this mandate and other measures to ensure consistency for our guests and crew,” the statement to CTVNews.ca reads.
Air Canada echoed the need for cross-jurisdictional consistency.
“Throughout the pandemic, Air Canada has advocated for a science-based approach to ensure safety. At this time, we are seeing measures get safely lifted for other activities and in other countries, which is important given we operate to the U.S. and globally. We have also said policies should be consistent with other activities and jurisdictions to make it easier for customers and to facilitate compliance,” a statement to CTVNews.ca reads.
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Passengers check in for flights to the U.S. at Vancouver International Airport, in Richmond, B.C., on Thursday, December 2, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
