If you are traveling by airplane in Canada, you will be asked to cover your mouth and nose as one of the new health safety measures which have been implemented effective as of today, Monday, April 20, 2020 at noon Eastern Daylight Time due to the current 2019 Novel Coronavirus pandemic.
Airline Passengers Must Cover Mouth and Nose In Canada
Aviation passengers on all flights departing from or arriving at airports in Canada will be required to demonstrate that they have the necessary non-medical mask or face covering during the boarding process — otherwise, they will not be allowed to continue on their journey.
In addition to requiring all air passengers to have a non-medical mask or face covering to cover their mouth and nose during travel, other new measures have also been implemented, as travelers will be asked to cover their mouths and noses:
- At Canadian airport screening checkpoints, where the screeners cannot always keep two meters of separation between themselves and the traveler;
- When they cannot physically distance from others, or as directed by the airline employees; and
- When directed to do so by a public health order or public health official.
Other Methods of Travel in Canada
Passengers who travel by train or rail, motor carrier, bus, or ferries and other marine modes of transportation are strongly encouraged to wear non-medical masks or face coverings whenever possible; and passengers may be asked by the transportation operator to cover their noses and mouths when physical distancing from other people cannot be maintained or is not possible. Passengers could be subject to denial of boarding should they fail to comply.
“Canadians should continue to follow public health advice and stay at home if possible”, Marc Garneau — who is the current Minister of Transport in Canada — was quoted as saying in this official press release. “However, if you need to travel, wearing a face covering is an additional measure you can take to protect others around you, especially in situations where physical distancing guidelines cannot be maintained. Transport Canada will continue to ensure various transportation systems adapt to the most effective, preventive measures to protect Canadians.”
Passengers are encouraged to follow the current guidance from the Public Health Agency of Canada pertaining to coverings for the face, as wearing a non-medical mask or face covering over the mouth and nose is another way to prevent your respiratory droplets from contaminating others or landing on surfaces.
Summary
Whether a similar requirement of transportation passengers covering their mouths and noses in the United States will be implemented remains to be seen.
Despite all of the new measures which are being implemented by governments around the world, the most effective method of limiting the spread of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus is ascribing to existing public health and good hygiene practices — which include yourself maintaining a physical distance of a minimum of six feet from other people, and properly washing your hands on a regular basis.
I remain convinced that had everyone been implementing these good hygiene practices to the point of them becoming habits, the pandemic would not be nearly as dire as it is currently — or, possibly, no pandemic would exist at all.
Photograph ©2013 by Brian Cohen.
