Air travellers must now provide medical proof when refusing to wear masks

Since April 20, it has been mandatory to wear non-medical masks on flights unless passengers said they had “breathing difficulties unrelated to COVID-19,” according to CTV News.

Passengers are no longer able to simply say they can’t wear a mask under a revised Transport Canada order that was issued on Friday. The order states that travellers have to show a medical certificate proving they cannot wear a mask due to a medical reason.

Wearing a mask is also required while travellers are making their way through airports, other than when going through security.

Some exceptions include infants and people who do not have the ability to remove their mask by themselves.

The order defines a mask as: “Any non-medical mask or face covering that is made of at least two layers of tightly woven material such as cotton or linen, is large enough to completely cover a person’s nose and mouth without gaping and can be secured to a person’s head with ties or ear loops.”

The new update to the federal order is one of many that have been made throughout the pandemic. Mandatory temperature checks were also implemented under the order.