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home / 世界杯决赛2022

mixed messages on end of mask mandates confusing for some

“why we think it’s a good idea to remove masking from transportation makes no sense to me.”

by thomas desormeaux

jun 10 2022
read time 3 minute read
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a message from ottawa’s top doctor encouraging continued mask use has left some confused following ontario’s announcement that the province’s mandatory masking requirements for transit and certain health settings would end this saturday.
dr. vera etches, ottawa’s medical officer of health, wrote wednesday that people should remain cautious on public transit.
“writing as the medical officer of health, i am no longer of the opinion that widespread mask use in the community is required,” the memo read. “nonetheless, because the current covid-19 surge is not resolved and future surges are anticipated … ottawa public health strongly recommends that mask use continue on public transit and in transit stations.”
as of saturday, passengers on oc transpo bus and train routes will no longer need to wear face coverings.
christine guptill is a professor at the university of ottawa and a mother of two.
christine guptill is a professor at the university of ottawa and a mother of two. jean levac / postmedia
“i mean, it’s a disaster,” said christine guptill, a university of ottawa professor. “they say, ‘we strongly recommend you keep a mask on, but we’re not going to say you have to.’ i don’t know what that’s trying to accomplish. oph has already given us the evidence that not requiring people to wear masks means that they don’t wear them. that drives up infection rates.”
guptill has a phd in health and rehabilitation sciences and studies health and disability. she has been advocating for stricter health measures in ontario throughout the pandemic.
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“why we think it’s a good idea to remove masking from transportation makes no sense to me,” she said. “who rides public transit? it’s the folks that are more vulnerable and less in a position to not ride the bus. the people who are more likely to die (from covid-19) or become severely disabled are the most vulnerable among us.”
some ottawa institutions are maintaining indoor masking regulations. although uottawa and algonquin college no longer require face coverings on campus, carleton university does and will enforce the policy at its upcoming convocation ceremonies.
“look at what the hospitals’ responses have been in the last 24 hours,” guptill said. “they’ve said, ‘you know the province can go ahead and say that masks are no longer required, but, if you want to come into our hospitals, you are going to have to wear one.’”
the queensway carleton and montfort hospitals, cheo and the ottawa hospital will still require people entering their facilities to mask up.
“as a hospital, we have a duty to care for and protect our patients, staff, and communities. masking requirements will remain in effect across the ottawa hospital campuses, ensuring the safety of all patients and staff,” spokesperson rebecca abelson said.
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masks will also remain mandatory in long-term care and retirement homes.
dr. fahad razak is scientific director for the ontario covid-19 science advisory table.
dr. fahad razak is scientific director for the ontario covid-19 science advisory table. fahad razak / handout
dr. fahad razak, scientific director for the ontario covid-19 science advisory table, said that, although the science table doesn’t have an official position on the removal of masks as it has not yet completed a full analysis of the issue, he didn’t believe it was the right time.
speaking to cbc radio, razak said deciding when to end mandates would be complex, but continual challenges faced by ontario’s health-care system, such as staffing, might mean this is coming too soon.
guptill agrees. she took her daughter to the emergency room a couple of weeks ago and witnessed first-hand the overcrowding and delays many hospitals have dealt with during the past two years.
“the wait time to see a doctor was 10 hours,” she said. “i’ve never seen an emergency room packed like that.”
for guptill, the calculation of how much covid is acceptable always ends up hurting vulnerable people most.
“imagine you are working as a grocery store clerk, and you have to take the bus to work,” she said. “now the customers coming into the store don’t have to wear a mask when they’re coming up to you and now, you’re going to have the same situation. you are going to get on a crowded bus and the people around you don’t have to wear a mask. it doesn’t make any sense to me.”

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also: ontario top science adviser says he would have preferred extended mask rules 

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