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QUEBEC — Wearing a mask will soon be obligatory for all users of public transit in Quebec.
In an about-face from their previous position, Premier François Legault and the director of public health, Horacio Arruda, are to make the announcement Tuesday at a Montreal news conference, government sources said Monday.
The decision follows weeks of debate about making masks mandatory — particularly in situations where the two-metre distancing rule is difficult such as on buses and the métro.
Until now, Quebec has hesitated and said enforcing such a rule to fight COVID-19 would be a problem because it implies penalties for not complying and some form of policing to monitor it all.
Instead it has “strongly recommended” the wearing of masks combined with hygiene measures such as hand washing.
Arruda never closed the door to the idea, but said he would prefer to see it become a social norm as is the case in some countries. He said he would wait for the opinions of international and Canadian experts.
