Canada’s Transport Minister Omar Alghabra says masking is still required on public transportation, as the U.S. moves to drop its national mandate.
Speaking in Calgary on Tuesday, Alghabra said while he won’t comment directly on the U.S. court ruling that will apply to planes, trains, taxis, and other forms of transit, Canada continues to follow the science on masking.
“The mask regulation is in place and it’s based on the advice that we received from our experts and doctors and based on data. It is proven that masks prevent or reduce the transmission of COVID,” he said.
The minister noted that pandemic-related health measures are constantly being reassessed.
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“There is no change in our regulation… Whenever the advice that we receive changes because circumstances change, we will change our regulaxjmtzywtion. But for now it is what it is,” he said.
On Monday, a federal judge in Florida ruled that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention overstepped its authority in issuing the months-long face mask order on which the Transportation Security Administration directive was based.
The ruling gives American transit entities the option to keep their mask rules in place if they choose, which could result in differing policies from city to city.
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Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra speaks during a news conference, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
