The City of Airdrie has voted not to implement a mandatory mask bylaw “at this time.”
In a special council meeting on Tuesday, Airdrie city councillors voted unanimously against a mandatory mask bylaw — unless the city sees a significant spike in cases.
That bylaw would only be triggered if the city enters an “enhanced” status – or requires increased public health measures.
According to Alberta Health, to date, there have been no areas ever moved to “enhanced” status.
Mayor Peter Brown said the issue around mandatory masks in public places has been a very polarizing topic for the city, but he believes the right decision was made.
“[Council] decided that masks were not mandatory at this time… It’s really up to the community right now and anyone visiting Airdrie to follow the rules: to physically distance, wear a mask where appropriate, etc.,” Brown said Tuesday.
“This has been a very passionate, divisive issue and we think we came up with the right solution for Airdrie at this time.”
The city of Airdrie is currently in the low risk or “open” category, with 22 active cases of COVID-19.
Overall, there have been a total of 75 reported cases in the city, with 53 recoveries.
As of Tuesday, there were currently five areas in Calgary that are under a “watch” status, which means the province is monitoring the risk and working with local governments about a possible need for additional health measures.
Many city councillors said a mandatory bylaw directive should come from the province.
Last week, Hinshaw said a mandatory mask policy across the province could inadvertently distract from other public health guidelines.
“I think we’ve seen some challenges in places where masking has been mandatory and we’re again wanting to learn from those situations,” she said last Thursday.
“There are certain locations that have a higher risk than others, so before we implement a province-wide measure, I think we need to consider whether that measure is required across the province.”
Brown said many councillors were frustrated about the lack of education and said there needs to be an enhanced education piece for people about the importance of wearing masks and the protection it serves.
Last week, the City of Airdrie put out a call to gather public feedback on the contentious issue, with respect to whether masks should be mandatory within Airdrie.
Of a total of 312, about 55 per cent were in favour of it while 45 per cent were opposed. Brown said he himself received more than 500 messages, phone calls and texts about the issue.
Brown is encouraging everyone to carry a mask with them at all times for added protection.
“If you’re in a situation where you can’t physically distance or you’re meeting with people who are uncomfortable, and it’s happened to me, then I would ask you put it on,” he said.
“It takes a few seconds to make someone feel comfortable. Why not do it, it’s neighbourly, and it’s what we should be doing. It’s a good practice.”
City administration will return to council with a drafted bylaw proposal in mid-August.