Concerned BC transit riders push to keep masks mandatory on vehicles

Concerned transit riders in BC have launched a petition demanding that masks remain mandatory.

The petition states that many provinces in Canada, as well as states in the US, have begun to drop COVID-19 requirements with the exception of mask mandates on public transit buses, trains, ferries, taxis and rideshare vehicles.

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BC health officials are expected to announce the scaling back of some COVID-19 related measures soon. Mandates in question include masking and the BC Vaccine Card, previously set to expire in June.

Keep the mandatory mask requirements on public transit in B​C!!! – Sign the Petition! https://t.co/sZvRxkts7d via @CdnChange

— KF94😷 🇺🇦💛💙🙏 (@NewsReader604) March 7, 2022

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry suggested that BC health officials would be looking to scale back ongoing health measures prior to spring break at a press conference last week.

It isn’t clear how BC will drop their various COVID-19 measures, but when BC temporarily removed the mask mandate last summer, it became a recommendation instead of a mandatory requirement. The petition references that period.

“In August 2021, BC reinstated its mask mandate in response to a significant increase in COVID transmission, including a significant number of cases that did not have exposure and contact tracing data. It is easy to infer that a large number of people in BC spread COVID-19 to others on public transit and rideshare vehicles whilst not wearing a mask.”

The petition mentions two neighbouring locations — Alberta and Washington State — that have both indicated that public transit and rideshare vehicles still have the mandate in place due to being high-risk settings.

The petition also states that public transit vehicles aren’t subject to a vaccination requirement, making masks the only effective layer of protection against the spread of COVID-19.

Even if BC does drop the mandate, TransLink could choose to keep it in place. We’ll likely know more about what the future holds for mandates in BC sometime this week.

Daily Hive has reached out to TransLink for comment.