Quebec says bye-bye to the mask mandate today

Quebec is officially ending the mask mandate for indoor public places on May 14, two years and two months into the pandemic. Interim Quebec public health director Dr. Luc Boileau confirmed in a press conference on May 4 that the government approved his department’s recommendation to drop the mask mandate. Quebec is the last province in Canada to do so, and was the first to mandate masks in July 2020.

That said, masks will remain mandatory in public transit across Quebec for the time being, as well as in hospitals, medical clinics and CHSLDs. People recovering from COVID-19 will also be expected to wear masks, though workplace rules will be determined and enforced by employers.

Hospitalizations and ICU admissions in Quebec have steadily decreased over the past month, and public health has seen a gradual drop in cases.

The prominent variant in the province is still BA.2, which is more contagious than Omicron.

In his May 4 press conference, Dr. Boileau reminded the public that we are not out of the pandemic yet, and to be as careful as possible.

❗Dès le 14 mai, il ne sera plus obligatoire de porter le masque dans les lieux publics fermés ou partiellement couverts.

Pour les détails ???? pic.twitter.com/CsHurwVdJH

— Santé Québec (@sante_qc) May 4, 2022

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