As some jurisdictions move to make masks mandatory amid the coronavirus pandemic, a recent survey found less support in Saskatchewan for such policies than anywhere else in the country.
According to a recent poll by the Angus Reid Institute, 45 per cent of Saskatchewan residents oppose mandatory masking.
In Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, Manitoba and the Maritimes, that resistance is much lower at between 20 and 30 per cent — although it jumps back up to 40 per cent in Alberta.
The online survey was conducted on July 10 and 11 among a randomized sample of 1,503 Canadians registered with the Angus Reid Forum carrying a margin of error of a margin of error of +/- 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
About half the people coming and going from the Walmart in Regina’s Harbour Landing neighbourhood Monday appeared to be wearing masks, a reflection of the survey’s results.
Arianna Zech, 11, was one of them.
She has Type 1 diabetes and is immunocompromised.
“I just want everyone to be safe and I just don’t want more people to be sick,” she said. “I don’t want to get sick, too. I would hate to get sick.
“COVID-19 is not gone and I just want to stop it from spreading.”
As of Monday, Saskatchewan has seen 962 coronavirus cases, 15 of which have resulted in death.
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The poll results indicate there is less concern in Saskatchewan about contracting the virus than in other provinces, with 57 per cent of people not at all or not that concerned about themselves falling ill and 41 per cent of people not at all or not that concerned about friends or family falling ill.
The University of Regina’s Gordon Pennycook, an assistant professor of behavioural science, said seeing even 10 per cent of the population not buy in to the seriousness of the coronavirus could cause major problems.
“A single person who could transmit and is doing the wrong thing could pass it along to a lot of people,” he said.
There is scientific evidence to suggest masks inhibit the transmission of the coronavirus. If an infected individual is wearing one, it can act as a barrier to stop droplets from spreading through the air.
While the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses is calling for a mandatory mask policy in the province, Dr. Saqib Shahab, Saskatchewan’s chief medical health officer, recommends masks be worn indoors when keeping a safe distance of two metres is not possible. He advised that come the fall, as people presumably spend less time outdoors, masking will keep the province open.
Ariana’s father, Ken Zech, a healthcare worker who was also wearing a mask, noted the importance of them when it comes to protecting others, including his daughter.
“The last thing I’d want to do is compromise anybody else’s health,” he said.
Diane Kelly, another shopper wearing a mask at Walmart on Monday, agrees.
“To have to live with yourself if you passed it on to somebody who’s immunocompromised if you didn’t have symptoms would be pretty bad,” she said.
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out. In situations where you can’t keep a safe distance from others, public health officials recommend the use of a non-medical face mask or covering to prevent spreading the respiratory droplets that can carry the virus. In some provinces and municipalities across the country, masks or face coverings are now mandatory in indoor public spaces.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.
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