麻豆影视

Skip to main content

House of Commons keeping mask mandate, easing other COVID-19 restrictions

Share

The House of Commons is beginning to ease some COVID-19 restrictions that have been in place throughout the pandemic, but one measure staying until the end of June will be the mask mandate.

House Speaker Anthony Rota announced Thursday that the Board of Internal Economy鈥 which oversees administrative matters鈥攈as decided that masks will still be required for MPs and any other people who enter the buildings that are part of the House precinct.

This means that until at least the end of the spring sitting on June 23, anyone who works in and around the House will need to continue wearing masks while in all common areas, except for when eating, drinking, or seated at their desk if distanced from others.

The mask mandate does not apply to MPs when they are at their place in the chamber, when speaking at a press conference, or when participating in a House of Commons committee meeting in person.

鈥淗owever, it is strongly recommended that Members wear a mask / face covering when they are at their place during parliamentary proceedings,鈥 reads the latest guidance.

Other restrictions will gradually be rolled back, seeing previously-suspended non-essential parliamentary activities such as committee travel and public visitor access to the chamber resume in stages.

For the first time since the pandemic began, the public viewing gallery in the House chamber as well as public access to observe committee meetings will resume the week of April 25.

Then, the week of May 16 will see guided tours and general public access resume, with the potential for capacity limits to be imposed if needed.

The House maintaining its masking rules is in contrast with the province in which Parliament is located. that masks will not be required in most indoor settings starting March 21.

In a statement, Rota said the House鈥檚 policy approach reflects 鈥渃urrent public health guidelines and advice.鈥

In November, MPs voted to revive the hybrid sitting format, meaning members of the 44th Parliament have the option of working from home until at least June 23.

As a result of this decision, MPs are able to vote remotely using an app on their phones, and virtually participate from their homes or offices and still appear, via screens, inside the chamber, or at House committee meetings.

There is no capacity limit in the chamber though, so if every MP wanted to show up in person, they can.

The House also continues to have a vaccine mandate in effect, requiring anyone who wants to enter House of Commons buildings within the parliamentary precinct to show either proof of vaccination, or a recent negative rapid test and valid medical exemption.

IN DEPTH

Opinion

opinion

opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

The British Columbia election campaign is set to officially start today, with Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin issuing the writ for the Oct. 19 vote.

A northern Ontario man is facing a $12,000 fine after illegally shooting a moose near the Batchawan River.

Unusual flippered feet are making their way into the Saint Lawrence River this weekend. Led by underwater explorer and filmmaker Nathalie Lasselin, volunteer divers are combing the riverbed near Beauharnois in Mont茅r茅gie to remove hundreds of tires that have been polluting the aquatic environment for decades.

A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man鈥檚 best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

Stay Connected