Compliance high despite hundreds of mask violations
City enforcers have responded to hundreds of protective mask violations in the past month but say compliance has increased since a mandatory use bylaw was imposed last summer.
From Oct. 12 to Nov. 22, city police, transit and bylaw officers answered 501 calls made to 311 concerning violations of the protective mask bylaw imposed Aug. 1 ordering the face coverings be worn in all public places.
Since Aug. 1 they've handed out only 12 tickets, reflecting the findings of a recent survey where 93 per cent of Calgarians say they always wear masks in public spaces, said Abdul Rafih, the city's manager of compliance services.
That's up from 89 per cent in a survey last summer.
“It's a significant improvement, especially compared to 34 per cent in June,” said Rafih.
“Overall, Calgarians have been complying and doing a tremendous job and we commend everyone for doing their part.”
Tickets have only been issued in extreme cases. Although most people are co-operative, enforcement officers have encountered some resistance.
A few anti-maskers have been caught on video in city businesses loudly complaining about how their civil rights have been abused by the regulation.
And some restaurant operators in the city have said staff members have been abused, in person and online, for insisting customers wear masks upon entering and when they're not seated.
Those incidents have largely petered out over time, said Ernie Tsu, owner of Trolley 5 Brewery on 17th Avenue S.W. and a board member of the Alberta Hospitality Association. But he said a week ago, a group of five women showed up without masks and initially refused to don them or leave.
“They started getting up and going from table to table and we had to ask them to leave,” said Tsu.
Such incidents, he said, could be at least partly explained by confusion sowed by the province's failure to make mask use mandatory provincewide, though the UCP government has now ruled they must be worn in all Edmonton-and Calgary-area indoor workplaces. The city ordinance states business owners aren't mandated to enforce it — only to provide bylaw signage — but Tsu is convinced he'd be fined if Alberta Health Services inspectors were to find unmasked patrons who refused to leave.
“I respect everyone who has an opinion on freedom and rights but this is not a mandate passed down by business, it's passed down by government,” he said.
Several anti-masking demonstrations have been held in the city — the largest one taking place last weekend, when hundreds turned out downtown to protest, citing infringements on their freedoms and skepticism over the need for face coverings.
On Friday, Mayor Naheed Nenshi said with new restrictions on outdoor gatherings, protest would now be illegal.
“There is a limit on outdoor gatherings and if you're gathering, police and bylaw officers will use their judgment,” he said.