Here’s Why Masks Could Stay Mandatory In Canada Even With Vaccines

Masks, distancing and rigorous handwashing have all been part of our daily lives for the past ten months.

Even with vaccines on the way, one Toronto expert is saying that masks will stay mandatory in Canada — even after you've been vaccinated.

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There isn’t sufficient data about whether a vaccinated person can spread the virus or not. Dr. Stephen Barr

Dr. Stephen Barr, associate professor of microbiology and immunology at Western University, says that until it is proven that vaccinated people cannot spread the disease, masks will be staying on.

"[A] vaccinated person should be protected from getting sick, but they could possibly still spread the virus," he explained to Narcity in an email.

"Until there is sufficient data showing that the virus cannot be spread from vaccinated people, masks will still be mandatory," said Barr.

On December 9, Health Canada officially gave the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine candidate the green light for rollout.

Now, Canada could expect to see 30,000 doses of that vaccine by Monday.

Canadian officials have stated that they plan to have most of the population vaccinated by September 2021.