Mask mandates are returning to British Columbia health care facilities to curb the spread of respiratory illnesses amid the seasonal surge, the provincial government announced.
Effective Jan. 6, the mandate applies to anyone entering patient care areas within health authority-operated facilities, such as waiting rooms, emergency rooms, and any area where emergency health services are being provided, including client homes, community care locations, and ambulances, according to the “COVID-19 guidance in B.C.”
Certain groups, such as children under 5 and individuals unable to wear masks due to health conditions, are exempt from the mask requirement. Mask use is also not required in administrative offices, cafeterias, or family rooms at the health care facilities. However, individuals who are required to wear a mask and are able to do so but choose not to are not exempt, the provincial government said….