It happened, my little corner of Ontario has brought in mandatory masking rules for indoor public spaces, much to the delight of a small but vocal minority.
Based on my observations while out shopping few people have been wearing masks while at pharmacies and grocery stores from what I have seen. Well less than half certainly, and not one employee at the No Frills where I get my weekly groceries.
I live in Northumberland County which has reported a total of 21 confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic with all being resolved according to news of Monday July 6th. Zero deaths so far thankfully.
The new rule starts Monday June 13th, everyone entering places like groceries, pharmacies, convenience stores or restaurants will be required to wear a non medical mask or face covering. Personally I'm going to try and buy one of those plastic face shields.
What will be interesting to see is if the number of identified cases stays low, or if the numbers start to climb now that masks are required. I've seen some regrettable behaviour by people wearing masks lately. Just this past Sunday I saw a person pull their mask down in order to read the expiry tag on a loaf of bread (they were wearing glasses) and then return the loaf back to the shelf.
Beyond that obvious and counterproductive faux pas I often see people touching the outside of their masks, pulling, tugging and adjusting. I do think there is potential for masks to increase viral spread.
Beyond proper handling there's also the issue of complacency. As the statistics demonstrate, Covid-19 is a particularly serious and potentially fatal disease for a very specific demographic group, the elderly and health compromised. My fear is that vulnerable people will now think, because everyone is wearing masks indoors, that it's safe to be out and about. A long passed Grandfather of mine used to relish in spending the day shopping and going to the mall.
And if cases do spike now that masking is pretty much mandatory everywhere, then rather than pulling back I'm afraid governments are going to make it mandatory even for something as simple as taking a stroll around the block.
And given the way people don't mind constant intrusions with more and more regulations, believing that it's somehow keeping them safe, I'm afraid the vast majority will just nod and say okay. And that within another year or two Canada won't be much different from China.
Posts
Seed Newsvine
No comments:
Post a Comment