Public health won’t make masks mandatory in Hamilton
Hamiltonians won’t be forced to wear masks despite calls from some health-care workers for it to be mandatory in crowds and indoor public spaces.
“We are not looking at making masking mandatory,” said Dr. Ninh Tran, an associate medical officer of health in Hamilton. “We have a generally good uptake.”
Premier Doug Ford has also ruled it out.
“We’re encouraging everyone when they go out, especially when they go into stores, to wear masks,” said Ford.
The premier said there are simply not enough police or bylaw officers to enforce mandatory masking.
“It’s much better if the public agree and endorse that by wearing them voluntarily,” said Dr. David Williams, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health. “You do it, not because you are forced to, but because you want to do it.”
However, Williams did leave the door open for communities to enforce masks.
“We are asking our local medical officers of health to use their powers and authorities if they feel they need to do so,” said Williams. “If they feel there is undue risk being taken, they can take action.”
Masks are mandatory on the HSR with some exceptions, which is in line with the open letter from more than 1,200 health-care workers calling for enforcement on public transportation. But public health isn’t looking to expand that.
“We still see a low number of cases and we will focus our efforts toward continuing to encourage mask use when physical distancing isn’t able to happen,” said Tran.
Hamilton had five new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday, bringing the total to 807. The virus has claimed 44 lives in Hamilton as another resident from the outbreak at the Rosslyn Retirement Residence died Tuesday. The death toll of Hamilton’s deadliest outbreak stands at 16 after the 87-year-old woman died in hospital.
More than 45 health-care workers from Hamilton and roughly 16 from Burlington have signed the open letter addressed to federal and provincial health ministers and top public health doctors
While a “healthy amount of masks” are used in Hamilton, said Paul Johnson, director of the Emergency Operations Centre, “I do think we need to increase mask use.”