A top Canadian public health official says Canada likely won't follow the lead of U-S health officials with its advice for people fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says people who are fully vaccinated no longer need to wear masks outdoors and in most indoor settings.
The new U.S. guidance still calls for wearing masks in crowded indoor settings like buses, planes and hospitals but it clears the way for reopening workplaces and schools.
Dr. Howard Njoo, deputy chief public health officer, says even as more Canadians get their shots, public health measures such as physical distancing, mask wearing and frequent hand washing remain key.
He adds the rate of new infections, the number of new cases resulting from each infection, test positivity rates and impact on the health-care system are all factors that should be weighed.
Njoo says 40 per cent of eligible Canadians over the age of 18 have now received one vaccine dose -- which offers good, but not maximum, protection.