People wait in line to receive a COVID-19 vaccine shot at the Bill-Durnan COVID-19 vaccination site in Montreal, May 24, 2021.Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press
Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer believes most of the country’s health measures related to the pandemic should stay in place until the end of summer. By that point, said Theresa Tam, 75 per cent of the population should have received a second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine; until then, Dr. Tam added, people should continue to wear masks indoors and keep their distance from others not in their household.
I hate to break it to the good doctor, but I don’t think anyone’s listening to her. Again.
Several Canadian provinces have already announced their own multiphase reopening plans, which include personalized approaches to the future use of personal protective equipment. So just as there was confusion and unrest over mask-wearing policies at the outset of the pandemic, it would appear we are going to end this health crisis on the same note. We seem destined for more ugly confrontations, once again.
Take British Columbia, for example, which announced its four-part return-to-normal blueprint last week. Under Step 3 – a phase expected to begin around July 1, when at least 70 per cent of the population 18 and over is anticipated to have had at least one dose of a vaccine – masks will be recommended but not mandatory.
First, this is a long way from Dr. Tam’s advice that people continue to wear masks and maintain physical distancing at least until 75 per cent of the population have received a second dose. But second: As soon as people see the words “not required,” they ditch whatever it was faster than you can say “Habs rule.”
What if grocery stores, to pick one example, want to maintain their mandatory mask-wearing policies for the protection of their workers? What are they going to say to the people who walk in insisting they don’t have to because they’re not mandatory?
Who is going to enforce the store’s mask policy? The same 17-year-old cashier who had to police it at the beginning of the pandemic?
I can see this conflict playing out across the spectrum: on transit, in restaurants, in bars, in retail outlets everywhere. Some establishments might be fine with customers not wearing masks as of July 1, but many will still be nervous for all sorts of good reasons – including the continued presence of highly contagious COVID-19 variants.
At least in Alberta, there is no opportunity for confusion. As of July 1, if the province hits its case and vaccine targets, the masks are coming off. Again, what is the point of having a public-health officer for the country if her advice is just going to be ignored by provincial governments?
Then you have Quebec.
By June 25, fully vaccinated people will be able to gather indoors without masks or physical distancing. People are supposed to be able to show proof with a digital passport that has a QR code – although reviews of the concept have been decidedly mixed. Regardless, this unmasking comes far earlier than is being recommended by our national health authority, and it will create two-tier citizens. It is also sure to lead to some “if he can go maskless so can I” attitudes.
To summarize: The country’s top public-health professional is suggesting we all keep our masks on until 75 per cent of the population has received two doses of a vaccine – and almost everyone is dismissing her counsel with vigour.
And it’s not just Dr. Tam making this kind of recommendation. Experts everywhere are saying the same thing.
Alex Wong, an infectious-disease physician in Regina, recently told the CBC that it makes no sense to ditch our face coverings now when there are still lots of COVID-19 cases out in communities. He thinks masks should be with us for some time to come.
The United States, meanwhile, is allowing people with two doses of vaccine to go maskless in public, with no way to prove whether a person is actually fully vaccinated. It’s a gamble that many fear could spark a fourth wave, even though the U.S. is far ahead of Canada in terms of the percentage of the population who are fully vaccinated.
I understand that people want to get back to normal as soon as possible. But a reckless pursuit of this goal is sure to backfire. Masks in many settings should be a fact of life in Canada until the end of the summer. There should be no ambiguity about it.
Keep your Opinions sharp and informed. Get the Opinion newsletter. Sign up today.