Some communities across Canada have started making non-medical face masks mandatory on public transit — or even in businesses or indoor spaces to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Some doctors and epidemiologists are calling for such laws to be more widespread. But others warn about the potential negative impacts and say the scientific evidence isn’t strong enough to warrant such heavy-handed measures. Here’s a closer look at the issue.
What are current public health recommendations around masks for healthy people in public?
The Public Health Agency of Canada recommends wearing a non-medical mask or face covering in public places, especially crowded ones, when physical distancing — keeping a distance of two metres from other people — isn’t possible to do consistently. Such places include stores, shopping areas and public transportation.
The idea is that masks can reduce the spread of respiratory droplets you produce when breathing, talking, coughing or sneezing. The recommendation was put in place due to growing evidence that people can transmit COVID-19 through such droplets before showing symptoms.
Of course, people with symptoms should stay home and not be in public places.
A woman shops at liquor section of the KaDeWe department store in Berlin. Germany made face masks mandatory in public places at the end of April. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
Why do some advocates think voluntary recommendations aren’t good enough?
All indoors spaces outside the home such as schools, libraries, community centres, stores and restaurants.
Crowds, both indoors and outdoors, including protests and crowded parks or trails.
Transit.
The letter noted that despite recommendations, a recent poll showed less than half of Canadians are wearing masks when they go out in public. It cited computer simulation studies that showed more than 70 per cent of the population needs to wear masks in public to significantly reduce transmission.
It added that the widespread adoption of other public health measures, such as seat belts and bike helmets, have required laws.
Dr. Amy Tan, an associate professor of family medicine at the University of Calgary and a member of the group, said the goal is to make wearing a mask a universal expectation — “the mindset of ‘no mask, no boarding’ [on transit] or at a store, ‘No mask, no service’ — similar to ‘no shirt, no service.'”
Some businesses, such as the Longo’s grocery store chain, have already implemented policies barring customers without masks.
Tan said laws help increase mask use by giving businesses and transit “cover to say, ‘We need to do this.'”
The masks being recommended for the public are non-medical masks, to save medical masks for health-care workers. (Francois Vigneault/Radio Canada)
How good is the evidence that mandatory mask laws reduce transmission?
A recent study by a German non-profit economic think-tank compared regions in Germany that implemented mandatory mask laws at different times (before the entire country made masks mandatory in stores and transit on April 27). The study, which was published on the group’s website but not in a peer-reviewed journal, suggested mask laws could reduce the daily growth rate of reported infections by 40 per cent.
Advocates of universal mask wearing note that countries with widespread or mandated mask usage such as South Korea, Taiwan, China and Czech Republic, have seen reduced cases and fatalities, although that may be due to other factors.
Watch | Are you making these face mask mistakes?
A face mask is meant to limit the spread of COVID-19. But if it slips below your nose, hovers around your chin, or you touch the outside with your hands, medical experts say that might be riskier than not wearing one at all. 3:55
Most research on masks so far has involved medical settings or households with a person known to be infected, said Dr. Mark Loeb, a McMaster University professor who studies infectious diseases and recently reviewed the evidence on masks and the spread of respiratory illnesses.
When it comes to mask wearing in the wider community, most studies published in scientific journals don’t show a clear impact so far, possibly due to factors like study size, he said.
He added that the Public Health Agency of Canada’s advice on masks is pragmatic and “a wise thing to do.” But he questioned whether the evidence on universal mask wearing is strong enough to make it mandatory in all public places, although he thinks mandating it on transit may be reasonable.
Tan said we don’t have the “luxury of time” to wait for that kind of evidence. “During a pandemic, you need to be looking at the emerging evidence and look at other levels of evidence to say there is more than enough science behind it.”
Where in Canada are masks mandatory so far?
Most mandatory mask regulations in Canada so far concern transportation situations where people may have trouble physically distancing.
Many transit agencies in Ontario have announced that masks will be mandatory on buses, streetcars and trains, including Ottawa, Toronto, Hamilton and Guelph.
In addition, at least two municipalities are implementing mandatory mask laws:
Côte Saint-Luc, Que., a Montreal suburb that had hundreds of confirmed COVID-19 cases and dozens of deaths by the beginning of June, is making face masks mandatory in indoor public spaces starting July 1.
Most regulations include exceptions for children under two years old and people who can’t wear a mask because of breathing difficulties or another medical condition or disability.
A rider wears a mask as they wait for an OC Transpo bus in Ottawa June 15, 2020, the first day wearing one was mandatory on the capital’s public transit service. (Jean Delisle/CBC)
How are mask laws being enforced?
In Côte Saint-Luc, Que, those who don’t follow the bylaw risk fines of up to $500.
Most other authorities, such as the Ottawa and Toronto transit authorities, say they plan to focus more on education than penalties.
That said, both Côte Saint-Luc and Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph are asking businesses to bar people without masks from entering.
Cara Zwibel, director of the fundamental freedoms program at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, is concerned about that: ” I don’t know if we want our bus drivers and our grocery cashiers to be interrogating people about their health status to try and decide who can get an exemption and who can’t.”
Zwibel said she thinks mask rules put people like transit drivers in “a really difficult position” especially given the confusing language around enforcement in places like Toronto transit.
“If you announce a policy that something is mandatory, it’s a bit odd in the same breath to say that you’re not going to enforce that… I think that kind of announcement confuses people a lot and it’s not really helpful.”
Zwibel is also concerned about people with disabilities such as hearing impairments who need to see people’s faces to read their lips or people on the autism spectrum who may have trouble with masks.
Kate Mulligan, an assistant professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto who studies health policy and equity, shares those concerns. She added that people with breathing difficulties such as asthma may have trouble with masks, and certain groups, such as Black and Indigenous men, may face discrimination when wearing a mask. “They may be perceived as a safety risk and that could create a safety risk to themselves.”
She said exceptions to mandatory mask policies are needed for that reason. “And I think it takes a lot of capacity to do that kind of enforcement.”
The lack of enforcement capacity has been cited by officials in Quebec and Ontario as a reason why they’re reluctant to make masks mandatory.
STM workers handed out masks at Metro stations in Laval and Montreal in May. There, masks on transit are recommended but not mandatory.
Are there other concerns about mandatory mask laws?
Like Loeb, Zwibel questions whether there’s enough scientific evidence yet to support mandatory mask laws covering a wide range of public places.
She added that there are lots of indoors spaces where physical distancing is possible. “So I think we’re sort of a long way from seeing a really good justification.”
Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease specialist at the Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, said if masks are mandated, they need to be provided for free so people aren’t barred from businesses or transit for not having access. “Many people might not have the means to buy a mask or may not have the means to make one,” he told CBC News Network Tuesday.
Watch| Masks and lifting COVID-19 restrictions:
Infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch weighs in on mandatory masks and Ontario’s reopening plan. 1:29
Tan acknowledged that medical and N95 masks need to be reserved for health-care workers and if non-medical masks are made mandatory, vulnerable people need to be given access. She noted that other countries with mandatory mask laws have provided masks to their populations. Some transit services such as Toronto’s are giving masks out to riders.
Are more jurisdictions likely to make masks mandatory in the future?
Mulligan, who sits on the Toronto Board of Health but isn’t part of any group advocating for masks, said she’s been asking about potential mandatory mask policies. So far she’s been told by officials that the evidence doesn’t yet support broader mask laws.
“I expect that to change,” she said. “Given that we’re seeing so much of the city and the province and the country opening up now, I think that we really have no choice but to step up the wearing of masks … because we do want to reduce the risk.”
She thinks governments should have been discussing mask policies as part of their strategy for reopening the economy. She said they need to figure out what policies on masks and other ways to reduce transmission have the greatest benefits versus risks.
If there is a future wave of COVID-19, she expects governments to rely more broadly on masking because the economic impact of the main strategy so far — lockdowns — is so severe.
In the meantime, she suggests people follow public health recommendations to wear masks voluntarily where physical distancing is difficult.
“We do know about the fact that masks reduce the risk to others,” she added. “And so therefore, we have a social responsibility to wear them when we can.”
TORONTO – Will Taylor Swift bring chaos or do we all need to calm down?
It’s a question many Torontonians are asking this week as the city braces for the arrival of Swifties, the massive fan base of one of the world’s biggest pop stars.
Hundreds of thousands are expected to descend on the downtown core for the singer’s six concerts which kick off Thursday at the Rogers Centre and run until Nov. 23.
And while their arrival will be a boon to tourism dollars — the city estimates more than $282 million in economic impact — some worry it could worsen Toronto’s gridlock by clogging streets that already come to a standstill during rush hour.
Swift’s shows are set to collide with sports events at the nearby Scotiabank Arena, including a Raptors game on Friday and a Leafs game on Saturday.
Some residents and local businesses have already adjusted their plans to avoid the area and its planned road closures.
Aahil Dayani says he and some friends intended to throw a birthday bash for one of their pals until they realized it would overlap with the concerts.
“Something as simple as getting together and having dinner is now thrown out the window,” he said.
Dayani says the group rescheduled the gathering for after Swift leaves town. In the meantime, he plans to hunker down at his Toronto residence.
“Her coming into town has kind of changed up my social life,” he added.
“We’re pretty much just not doing anything.”
Max Sinclair, chief executive and founder of A.I. technology firm Ecomtent, suggested his employees avoid the company’s downtown offices on concert days, saying he doesn’t see the point in forcing people to endure potential traffic jams.
“It’s going to be less productive for us, and it’s going to be just a pain for everyone, so it’s easier to avoid it,” Sinclair said.
“We’re a hybrid company, so we can be flexible. It just makes sense.”
Swift’s concerts are the latest pop culture moment to draw attention to Toronto’s notoriously disastrous daily commute.
In June, One Direction singer Niall Horan uploaded a social media video of himself walking through traffic to reach the venue for his concert.
“Traffic’s too bad in Toronto, so we’re walking to the venue,” he wrote in the post.
Toronto Transit Commission spokesperson Stuart Green says the public agency has been working for more than a year on plans to ease the pressure of so many Swifties in one confined area.
“We are preparing for something that would be akin to maybe the Beatles coming in the ‘60s,” he said.
Dozens of buses and streetcars have been added to transit routes around the stadium, and the TTC has consulted the city on potential emergency scenarios.
Green will be part of a command centre operated by the City of Toronto and staffed by Toronto police leaders, emergency services and others who have handled massive gatherings including the Raptors’ NBA championship parade in 2019.
“There may be some who will say we’re over-preparing, and that’s fair,” Green said.
“But we know based on what’s happened in other places, better to be over-prepared than under-prepared.”
Metrolinx, the agency for Ontario’s GO Transit system, has also added extra trips and extended hours in some regions to accommodate fans looking to travel home.
A day before Swift’s first performance, the city began clearing out tents belonging to homeless people near the venue. The city said two people were offered space in a shelter.
“As the area around Rogers Centre is expected to receive a high volume of foot traffic in the coming days, this area has been prioritized for outreach work to ensure the safety of individuals in encampments, other residents, businesses and visitors — as is standard for large-scale events,” city spokesperson Russell Baker said in a statement.
Homeless advocate Diana Chan McNally questioned whether money and optics were behind the measure.
“People (in the area) are already in close proximity to concerts, sports games, and other events that generate massive amounts of traffic — that’s nothing new,” she said in a statement.
“If people were offered and willingly accepted a shelter space, free of coercion, I support that fully — that’s how it should happen.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.
TORONTO – Hundreds of Taylor Swift fans lined up outside the gates of Toronto’s Rogers Centre Wednesday, with hopes of snagging some of the pop star’s merchandise on the eve of the first of her six sold-out shows in the city.
Swift is slated to perform at the venue from Thursday to Saturday, and the following week from Nov. 21 to Nov. 23, with concert merchandise available for sale on some non-show days.
Swifties were all smiles as they left the merch shop, their arms full of sweaters and posters bearing pictures of the star and her Eras Tour logo.
Among them was Zoe Haronitis, 22, who said she waited in line for about two hours to get $300 worth of merchandise, including some apparel for her friends.
Haronitis endured the autumn cold and the hefty price tag even though she hasn’t secured a concert ticket. She said she’s hunting down a resale ticket and plans to spend up to $600.
“I haven’t really budgeted anything,” Haronitis said. “I don’t care how much money I spent. That was kind of my mindset.”
The megastar’s merchandise costs up to $115 for a sweater, and $30 for tote bags and other accessories.
Rachel Renwick, 28, also waited a couple of hours in line for merchandise, but only spent about $70 after learning that a coveted blue sweater and a crewneck had been snatched up by other eager fans before she got to the shop. She had been prepared to spend much more, she said.
“The two prized items sold out. I think a lot more damage would have been done,” Renwick said, adding she’s still determined to buy a sweater at a later date.
Renwick estimated she’s spent about $500 in total on “all-things Eras Tour,” including her concert outfit and merchandise.
The long queue for Swift merch is just a snapshot of what the city will see in the coming days. It’s estimated that up to 500,000 visitors from outside Toronto will be in town during the concert period.
Tens of thousands more are also expected to attend Taylgate’24, an unofficial Swiftie fan event scheduled to be held at the nearby Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
Meanwhile, Destination Toronto has said it anticipates the economic impact of the Eras Tour could grow to $282 million as the money continues to circulate.
But for fans like Haronitis, the experience in Toronto comes down to the Swiftie community. Knowing that Swift is going to be in the city for six shows and seeing hundreds gather just for merchandise is “awesome,” she said.
Even though Haronitis hasn’t officially bought her ticket yet, she said she’s excited to see the megastar.
“It’s literally incredible.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.
OTTAWA – Via Rail is asking for a judicial review on the reasons why Canadian National Railway Co. has imposed speed restrictions on its new passenger trains.
The Crown corporation says it is seeking the review from the Federal Court after many attempts at dialogue with the company did not yield valid reasoning for the change.
It says the restrictions imposed last month are causing daily delays on Via Rail’s Québec City-Windsor corridor, affecting thousands of passengers and damaging Via Rail’s reputation with travellers.
CN says in a statement that it imposed the restrictions at rail crossings given the industry’s experience and known risks associated with similar trains.
The company says Via has asked the courts to weigh in even though Via has agreed to buy the equipment needed to permanently fix the issues.
Via said in October that no incidents at level crossings have been reported in the two years since it put 16 Siemens Venture trains into operation.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.
