Canadian Transport Minister said after his meeting with the country's Chief Medical Officer that the government still strongly encourages citizens to wear masks on airplanes and trains - but it has not made it a requirement. Omar Al-Ghabra stated that he participated in a briefing presented by Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam this morning. Tam said that the government will continue to follow doctors' advice and will maintain the recommendation for the time being, as wearing a mask when traveling on an airplane is a good practice.

Last week, during a virtual update, Tam said that the "increasing growth" of COVID-19 variants, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus mutation poses a challenge to the healthcare system in several parts of the country.

Also, on October 1, all COVID-19 entry restrictions were removed by the federal government, including quarantine for unvaccinated foreign travelers and mask mandates for anyone entering Canada.