Londoners opposed to the city’s mandatory mask bylaw enacted to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus had their say at the Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee meeting at City Hall on Tuesday night.
Some of the concerns raised by those who spoke included an infringement on freedom and those who cannot wear a mask for health reasons facing stigma.
Tuesday’s meeting presented councillors with a report advising them of how things with the bylaw have been going since council passed it back on July 21, following the advice of London’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Chris Mackie.
The bylaw requires that face coverings be worn in all enclosed spaces that are accessible to the public to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.
“We see people acting on incorrect information, and we have to make sure that’s not us — I don’t want to challenge Dr. Mackie for doing his job, but I do need to challenge us for the way we do our job,” said Ward 1 Coun. Michael Van Holst.
Before the meeting, Van Holst sent a letter with a list of at least nine concerns around the mask bylaw. When the bylaw was passed by in July, Van Host was the only councillor to vote against it.
Ward 6 Coun. Phil Squire said it’s not up to the councillors to make decisions related to public health.
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“My job is not to become a scientist or a doctor, and I follow the directions and the instruction of the medical officer of health,” Squire said.
Dr. Mackie has spoken on several occasions about the benefits masks can have in controlling the spread of COVID-19 and encouraged councillors back in July to support the bylaw.
“The bylaw really draws in the enforcement power of the City of London bylaw officers,” Mackie said in July.
Sophie Hawkins was one of the delegates who spoke Tuesday night said she was concerned for students.
“I think whats going on in the schools right now amounts to child abuse.”
“These children are not at risk; we know that by the statics and by masking children we are traumatizing a whole generation,” Hawkins said.
The mandatory mask bylaw excludes children under 12 years of age, however, both the Thames Valley District School Board and London District Catholic School Boards made masks mandatory for all students from junior kindergarten to Grade 12 indoors and on buses.
On Monday, the Middlesex London Health Unit reported that a student at H.B. Beal Secondary School tested positive for COVID-19. The case marks the first reported among elementary and secondary schools in London, Ont., and Middlesex County.
While many younger people can have mild to no symptoms at all of the coronavirus, the concern for many has been how quickly children in close quarters at school could spread the virus to other people.
A poll conducted by Narrative Research back in July showed that eight in ten Canadians support mandatory masks in public places during COVID-19.
People with medical conditions or disabilities, which inhibits their ability to wear a face-covering and exempt from the bylaw and those unable to apply or remove a face covering on their own, are also exempt from the new rule.
The health unit had said there’s “no requirement for anyone to provide proof of exemption.”
With files from Kelly Wang Global News
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