'Puts everybody at risk': Winnipeg doctor speaks out on the dangers of lifting mask mandate
A Winnipeg doctor said the Manitoba government’s decision to lift the mask mandate, “puts everybody at risk.”
“It’s probably not something that needed to be done at this stage,” said Dr. Anand Kumar, an ICU physician and infectious disease specialist.
On Tuesday, Premier Brian Pallister and Dr. Brent Roussin, chief provincial public health officer, announced the province’s latest plans for reopening, which include lifting the province’s mask mandate for indoor public places.
Kumar noted that masks help to protect other people, adding that in particular children under 12, who can’t be vaccinated, need to be protected.
“The best way to protect them is to continue public health measures, particularly masking,” he said.
With Manitoba now moving from public health restrictions to recommendations, it could potentially lead to greater stress on the health-care system – something Kumar notes could be an issue.
“We’ve had a tremendous attrition of acute care here, both in the ICU and on the wards,” he said.
“I think it would be very difficult for us at this stage to ramp up anywhere near as much as we did last winter, never mind the spring. So I think it’s something we have to be very careful about.”
He pointed out that other places, including England and the United States, are starting to see large spikes, not just in COVID-19 cases, but in cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
“Particularly for the children’s hospital, we’re going to have to keep a really close eye out on that,” Kumar said.
Manitoba's latest round of public health orders will take effect at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 7.
Individual businesses will be able to decide whether they want to continue to require staff and customers to wear masks. Masks will still be required in health-care facilities, including hospitals and personal care homes.
- With files from CTV’s Renee Rodgers.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.