kids and face masks: what are the rules in canada?

the story made international news: a westjet flight from calgary to toronto was cancelled after a situation involving face masks and young children escalated.first reported by global news, the choudhry family says they were asked to put masks on their children before take-off. while they were able to put a mask on their three-year, they could not get one on their crying 19-month-old child. calgary police arrived as back-up and the upset led to the cancellation of the flight. westjet disputes the account and says the issue was not with the baby, but the three-year-old.several other stories have surfaced in canada and the united states where families with two-year-olds were forced to get off commercial flights because of mask issues.

what are the rules when it comes to young children and masks?

according to the government of canada, masks should not be worn by children under two-years-old. perinatal services bc explains that children under two shouldn’t wear masks, or be overbundled with blankets and plastic coverings to protect against covid-19, because of the risk of suffocation and/or sudden infant death syndrome. masks and face coverings aren’t made with babies and young toddlers in mind and, apart from making breathing more difficult, often have small parts that can come off and become choking hazards. the university of california, davis cautions “elastic bands and the strings that go around the head can also be strangulation hazards for children.”kid’s health, a non-profit based in the u.s., also notes that children under two will “likely try to remove the mask, causing them to touch their face a lot. this can increase their risk of catching and spreading the virus.”perinatal services bc advises frequent handwashing as well as physical distancing. instead of directly covering your child, it suggests instead placing a light blanket or breathable cover over the infant/child carrier and monitoring the child to make sure they don’t overheat.after the recent issues with toddlers not wearing masks on flights, some parents are urging transport canada to change its guidelines when it comes to kids and masks, which are similar to those put out by the government of canada calling for masks on those above the age of two.cbc news notes that this also lines up with rules from the centres for disease control in the u.s. however, it’s more strict than some countries. public health england “does not recommend face coverings for children under the age of 3 for health and safety reasons.” and in germany, most provinces require a face mask on anyone six and up, though some states, such as saxony-anhalt, require kids older than two wear one in stores and on public transportation.