Albertans the least likely to voluntarily mask indoors: poll
It has been two weeks since Alberta lifted the majority of its COVID-19 public health measures, including mandatory masking, and a new poll suggests people living in the province are the least likely in the country to continue to do so indoors.
The Angus Reid Institute found 73 per cent of Canadians support wearing a mask in a public indoor spaces, but only 50 cent would continue to do so voluntarily.
Support drops in Alberta to 41 per cent for people likely to continue to mask inside around strangers, the lowest in Canada.
Albertans were also the least likely in the country to keep social distancing, avoid large gatherings, not shake hands or hug people, or refrain from travelling abroad.
Infectious disease expert Dr. Craig Jenne says masking is still an important measure to stop the spread of COVID-19 and recommends it for some situations, like at large indoor gatherings.
"When you are indoors in tight spaces and large numbers of people outside your cohort, it’s still a good idea to wear that mask,” Jenne said.
Jenne says though hospitalization numbers are slowly coming down, there is still phenomenal strain on the health care system
"I think we’ve made some huge progress over the last year – or even six months – that is allowing us to get back to life as close to normal as we’ve seen now in two years," he said.
"We have to do our part over the next three, four, five months to ensure we keep numbers as low as possible."
Nationally, the poll found the majority of Canadians will continue to take precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19, with two-thirds planning to keep sanitizing their hands and three-in-five planning to continue social distancing.
When asked if the removal of restrictions were happening too quickly, there was no unified national consensus in the poll; two-in-five people in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Atlantic Canada believed their provincial government was moving too quickly.
Residents living in Alberta and Manitoba were also overwhelmingly critical of their respective premiers’ handling of the pandemic since it started.
Canadians are still required to be fully vaccinated to travel to the United States, which 70 per cent of Canadians polled agreed with, with the exception of Albertans who are least likely to support the full vaccine requirements to travel internationally.
Politics does appear to play a role in a person’s support of masking or vaccine passports, with the poll finding those who voted for the Conservative Party of Canada in the past much less likely to support restrictions.
The Angus Reid Institute poll surveyed 2,550 adult Canadians (including 256 Albertans) online between March 1 and 4, 2022. Angus Reid says a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- two percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Federal government grants B.C.'s request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces
The federal government is granting British Columbia's request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces, nearly two weeks after the province asked to end its pilot project early over concerns of public drug use.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
MPs agree Canadian gov't should improve new disability benefit
The federal government needs to safeguard the incoming Canada Disability Benefit from clawbacks and do more to ensure it actually meets the stated aim of lifting people living with disabilities out of poverty, MPs from all parties agree.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL has suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.
Boy Scouts of America changing name for first time in 114 years, aiming for inclusivity
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It's a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Trudeau's handling of Poilievre's 'wacko' House turfing a clear sign of Liberal desperation
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca
New charges for Ont. woman who previously admitted to defrauding doulas
The Brantford, Ont. woman who was previously sentenced to house arrest after admitting to deceiving doulas has been charged again in connection to a new victim.