Most Canadians say they are likely to continue wearing masks while traveling by plane or train, even after the federal government made face coverings optional, as shown by recent survey data from Nanos Research. The survey, conducted by CTV News, found that 55 percent of Canadians reported that they are either very likely or somewhat likely to continue wearing masks on planes or trains over the next 12 months. Similarly, 35 percent of those who responded positively said they are likely to wear a mask, but 26 percent said they are unlikely to continue wearing face masks while traveling by air or train, compared to nine percent of survey participants who said they are somewhat unlikely. The federal government had lifted all its COVID-19 border restrictions and rules, including the mask mandate for airplane and train passengers, on October 1. Also, at the time of the announcement on September 26, the federal government cited the decline in cases from the Omicron variant, high vaccination rates, and lower hospitalization and death rates as factors behind the decision, along with the availability of boosters, rapid testing, and COVID-19 treatments. In the same context, the number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals in Canada has risen nearly since mid-September, from 4,265 on September 17 to 5,373 on October 10, according to the latest data released by the Public Health Agency of Canada. National hospitalizations are still below the April peak of about 6,800 and much lower than the over 10,000 who were hospitalized at various points in January during the Omicron wave peak. Additionally, Nick Nanos, president of Nanos Research, said in the latest episode of the Trend Line program on CTV News: "So it seems that although people are not worried about the coronavirus, there will be a significant proportion who will still be cautious... regarding their health." By gender, men were less likely to say they would wear masks on a plane or train compared to women, with about 45 percent of men in the Nanos survey saying they are likely to wear masks, compared to about 64 percent of women, while 45 percent said they are unlikely to wear masks on planes, with about 25 percent of women saying the same. Nanos noted that the statistic is not surprising, because women usually "make healthcare decisions for other family members, perhaps children, or parents."