Renfrew County's top doctor says masks less common in rural areas

In the middle of the sixth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, Renfrew County's top doctor is noticing fewer people wearing masks in his region compared to nearby Ottawa.

"The difference between Barry's Bay and Deep River, the difference between Renfrew County and Ottawa for example; the more rural, the less masking you're going to see," acting medical officer of health Dr. Robert Cushman says.

The observation comes as mask mandates continue to fall across North America. Passengers on U.S. flights are no longer required to wear masks, while Uber riders will now have the option to not wear a mask starting April 22.

While Cushman says he has noticed slightly more mask participation in the wake of the BA.2 variant, he does not agree with the mandates that are falling around him.

"With the sixth wave and general precautions to get in a plane for example, to get in a car that's not your own;" Cushman tells CTV News Ottawa. "I mean you've got to have some loose screws not to think about wearing a mask."

In Ottawa, OC Transpo and post secondary institutions including Algonquin College, Carleton University, and the University of Ottawa have all doubled down on keeping their mask mandates in place for the time being.

Cushman tells CTV News the local health unit has done all it can in promoting mask use to schools and the general public.

The county's top doctor says bringing back any type of mandate will be difficult after it has been lifted, but isn't ruling out the possibility completely.

"To come back with mask mandates, maybe next winter when we see a new variant which is a major concern."