Mandatory masks now required indoors for children over five in BC

British Columbia’s Public Health Order on mask usage has been expanded to include a broader range of children.

On October 12, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said that she was officially adjusting the public mask mandate. Anyone over the age of five is now required to wear a mask in all indoor public spaces.

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The announcement was made during BC’s weekly COVID-19 update. During that time, Henry explained that the move was made to keep things “as simple as possible.”

“I recognize as well that our public health mandates have changed over time, and they will continue to do so as the pandemic evolves and changes,” she said. “And just as we may increase or decrease public health measures, to ensure that our protections are in step with our risks, we want to keep things as straightforward and as simple as possible.”

The adjustment to the mask order, she explains, comes shortly after a school mask mandate for K to 12 students took effect. Within schools, masks are required for students when they’re inside buildings, sitting at their desks, and on buses.

“For youth, whether taking the school bus or the city bus, the rules are the same.”

Henry added that she was “impressed” by the “adaptability and resilience” of children in BC.

“Many of them have told me that they know how to wear a mask now, and it’s something they do to keep themselves safe, to keep their families safe. And I just want to say thank you.”