“I don’t believe we need this heavy-handed of a mandate,” Henry said. “I don’t see the need for a mask mandate per se because we have so many other tools and a high level of protection.” Henry said the previous mask mandates were imposed when COVID-19 vaccines were not available for children and when there was a high rate of illness and absenteeism among adults and restrictions on gathering. “In that context, masks were important and necessary. We’re in a different situation now. We have a very high level of immunity. We have vaccines. We have treatments for flu, for COVID-19, for RSV,” he said. Henry said the latest data shows that the disease most commonly seen among children in B.C. are influenza A and to a lesser extent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. WATCHES | Dr. Bonnie Henry talks about why she’s not ready to mandate a mask just yet:
Dr. Bonnie Henry outlines why a mask mandate is not required in BC
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says there are other tools besides the mask mandate to prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses. He said overall, cases of COVID-19 are leveling off across the province and with high levels of immunity and vaccination for COVID-19, a major resurgence of the virus was unlikely. When it comes to children being required to wear masks in schools, Henry said previous mask mandates have had negative consequences for school children. Every school in BC has received a ventilation assessment, according to Henry, although results have not been released. Both Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix encouraged wearing a mask in settings where it makes sense: in transit, in crowds and when sick, to name a few. “If I have a sick child at home, I might wear a mask in my workplace to be extra careful, even though I feel fine and I have to go and I can go to work,” Henry said. Dix said 1.2 million residents of B.C. have already received a flu shot this year, twice as many as last year. He said the province is opening more hospital beds in preparation for flu season, but the situation is not as desperate as in other provinces.
