Publication date: November 16, 2022 • 4 hours ago • 3 minutes read 52 Comments Dr. Bonnie Henry, provincial health officer, provides an update on respiratory disease season in British Columbia, November 16, 2022. Credit: Felipe Fittipaldi Photo by Felipe Fittipaldi / jpg

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B.C.’s provincial health officer has rejected calls for a mandatory mask order, even as hospitals and clinics are seeing a resurgence of respiratory illnesses in children.

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Dr. Bonnie Henry said she doesn’t think the “heavy hand” of a mask mandate is needed. He left it up to people to use masks at their discretion “where it makes sense”. Start your day with a roundup of BC-focused news and opinion delivered straight to your inbox at 7am, Monday to Friday. By clicking the subscribe button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300

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“We all need to learn about this tool and where it’s best used,” he said. “We’re trying to give some guidance on that. This will happen every year. We will have a breathing period next year.” Dr. Bonnie Henry, provincial health officer, provides an update on respiratory disease season in British Columbia, Nov. 16, 2022. Credit: Felipe Fittipaldi Photo by Felipe Fittipaldi /jpg BC had a jump in healthcare visits due to respiratory illnesses, largely due to influenza and RSV, the respiratory syncytial virus, in children, many of whom missed a year or two of typical childhood respiratory viruses due to COVID-related measures . Flu levels, which were near zero during the pandemic, have risen dramatically since October. RSV cases have also seen a significant but less dramatic increase, while COVID cases have leveled off.

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Henry said there was “quite a bit” of RSV circulating in B.C. last winter, which likely protects BC from the surge that is overwhelming children’s hospitals in Ontario. Demand for medical care for respiratory diseases is highest among children aged 5 to 9 years, followed by infants and toddlers aged 0 to 4 years, and among children aged 10 to 14 years. Henry said the previous orders for masks were made in the context of several factors, including severe COVID-19 among adults and a lack of vaccines for young children. “We’re in a different situation now,” he said, adding that 90 percent of British Columbians have some immunity to COVID-19 through vaccination or infection or both. There are also effective flu shots available for free to anyone six months and older.

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“We’re not in a situation right now where I think every child and adult in a school setting should be wearing a mask all the time.” Instead, he said it’s important to keep schools as inclusive as possible and normalize the use of face coverings for children who may want or need to wear them. Masks are still mandatory in health care settings in BC, including hospitals, clinics and long-term care homes. Everywhere else, people are advised to use their judgment to decide when wearing a mask is appropriate and could be helpful in limiting transmission. “I might wear a mask one day on the bus if it’s crowded, or the windows are closed, or if I’m worried my nostrils might catch,” Henry said. “On another day, if there’s a lot of space, I might choose not to, and that’s fine.”

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People who have symptoms of any respiratory illness are asked to stay home and limit close contact with others until they no longer have a fever or feel well enough to resume their daily activities. Health Minister Adrian Dix says 1.2 million people have received a flu shot this year, twice as many as last year. Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, and Dr. Bonnie Henry, provincial health officer, provides an update on respiratory disease season in British Columbia, Nov. 16, 2022. Credit: Felipe Fittipaldi Photo by Felipe Fittipaldi /jpg The spread of respiratory illnesses has prompted calls for a return to the mask with some groups, including the Safe Schools Coalition and Protect Our Province BC, calling on Premier-designate David Eby, Dix and Education Minister Jennifer Whiteside to bring back mandatory indoor masking. public places to limit transmission. Ontario’s top doctor has issued a strong recommendation for the public to wear masks indoors, but did not mandate it. Dr. Kieran Moore said children’s hospitals in Ontario are operating at 100 per cent capacity due to the triple threat of influenza, RSV and COVID.

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Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said a school mask mandate is not on the table, while Saskatchewan’s top doctor said school masks are “not feasible at this point.” [email protected] twitter.com/cherylchan More news, less ads: Our in-depth journalism is made possible by the support of our subscribers. For just $3.50 a week, you can get unlimited, ad-lite access to The Vancouver Sun, The Province, the National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Vancouver Sun | The Province.

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title: “No Need For Heavy Handed Mask Mandate Dr Bonnie Henry " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-06” author: “John Navarro”

Publication date: Nov 16, 2022 • 6 hours ago • 3 min read 52 Comments Dr. Bonnie Henry, provincial health officer, gives an update on respiratory disease season in British Columbia on November 16, 2022. Credit: Felipe Fittipaldi Photo by Felipe Fittipaldi / jpg

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B.C.’s provincial health officer has rejected calls for a mandatory mask order, even as hospitals and clinics are seeing a resurgence of respiratory illnesses in children.

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Dr. Bonnie Henry said she doesn’t think the “heavy hand” of a mask mandate is needed. He left it up to people to use masks at their discretion “where it makes sense”. Start your day with a roundup of BC-focused news and opinion delivered straight to your inbox at 7am, Monday to Friday. By clicking the subscribe button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300

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A welcome email is on its way. If you don’t see it, check your spam folder. The next issue of Sunrise presented by the Vancouver Sun will be in your inbox soon. We encountered a problem with your registration. PLEASE try again

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“We all need to learn about this tool and where it’s best used,” he said. “We’re trying to give some guidance on that. This will happen every year. We will have a breathing period next year.” Dr. Bonnie Henry, provincial health officer, provides an update on respiratory disease season in British Columbia, Nov. 16, 2022. Credit: Felipe Fittipaldi Photo by Felipe Fittipaldi /jpg BC had a jump in healthcare visits due to respiratory illnesses, largely due to influenza and RSV, the respiratory syncytial virus, in children, many of whom missed a year or two of typical childhood respiratory viruses due to COVID-related measures . Flu levels, which were near zero during the pandemic, have risen dramatically since October. RSV cases have also seen a significant but less dramatic increase, while COVID cases have leveled off.

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Henry said there was “quite a bit” of RSV circulating in B.C. last winter, which likely protects BC from the surge that is overwhelming children’s hospitals in Ontario. Demand for medical care for respiratory diseases is highest among children aged 5 to 9 years, followed by infants and toddlers aged 0 to 4 years, and among children aged 10 to 14 years. Henry said the previous orders for masks were made in the context of several factors, including severe COVID-19 among adults and a lack of vaccines for young children. “We’re in a different situation now,” he said, adding that 90 percent of British Columbians have some immunity to COVID-19 through vaccination or infection or both. There are also effective flu shots available for free to anyone six months and older.

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“We’re not in a situation right now where I think every child and adult in a school setting should be wearing a mask all the time.” Instead, he said it’s important to keep schools as inclusive as possible and normalize the use of face coverings for children who may want or need to wear them. Masks are still mandatory in health care settings in BC, including hospitals, clinics and long-term care homes. Everywhere else, people are advised to use their judgment to decide when wearing a mask is appropriate and could be helpful in limiting transmission. “I might wear a mask one day on the bus if it’s crowded, or the windows are closed, or if I’m worried my nostrils might catch,” Henry said. “On another day, if there’s a lot of space, I might choose not to, and that’s fine.”

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People who have symptoms of any respiratory illness are asked to stay home and limit close contact with others until they no longer have a fever or feel well enough to resume their daily activities. Health Minister Adrian Dix says 1.2 million people have received a flu shot this year, twice as many as last year. Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, and Dr. Bonnie Henry, provincial health officer, provides an update on respiratory disease season in British Columbia, Nov. 16, 2022. Credit: Felipe Fittipaldi Photo by Felipe Fittipaldi /jpg The spread of respiratory illnesses has prompted calls for a return to the mask with some groups, including the Safe Schools Coalition and Protect Our Province BC, calling on Premier-designate David Eby, Dix and Education Minister Jennifer Whiteside to bring back mandatory indoor masking. public places to limit transmission. Ontario’s top doctor has issued a strong recommendation for the public to wear masks indoors, but did not mandate it. Dr. Kieran Moore said children’s hospitals in Ontario are operating at 100 per cent capacity due to the triple threat of influenza, RSV and COVID.

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Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said a school mask mandate is not on the table, while Saskatchewan’s top doctor said school masks are “not feasible at this point.” [email protected] twitter.com/cherylchan More news, less ads: Our in-depth journalism is made possible by the support of our subscribers. For just $3.50 a week, you can get unlimited, ad-lite access to The Vancouver Sun, The Province, the National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Vancouver Sun | The Province.

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Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourages all readers to share their views on our articles.  Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site.  We ask that you keep your comments relevant and respectful.  We’ve enabled email notifications—you’ll now receive an email if you get a reply to your comment, there’s an update on a comment thread you’re following, or if a user follows the comments.  Visit the Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.