Make masks mandatory in businesses

My eternal gratitude to Dr. Bonnie Henry, Health Minister Adrian Dix, Premier John Horgan and residents of British Columbia for their collective effort to get the province to this point in the fight against COVID-19.

My request going forward is to please make the wearing of face masks mandatory in all places of businesses (with minimal exceptions).

As it stands, the vast majority of shoppers do not wear a face mask due to either lack of availability or lack of awareness. The collective lack of mask protection in a retail setting makes me very nervous.

An incredibly high percentage of shoppers/clients seem oblivious to the risk they pose to others.

Masks are not about protecting yourself — they are about protecting others around you.

There is a high level of COVID-19 anxiety with all essential workers and the same will hold true for staff at businesses that begin to re-open.

It is completely unfair to leave this important safety measure up to the individual business owner. For instance, the retail shop that requires clients and staff to wear a mask will be at a distinct disadvantage to the retail shop that does not have the same requirement.

Make the wearing of masks in all businesses mandatory for both clients and staff, at least for the duration of Phase 1 and 2 of the re-opening.

It will put all businesses on a level playing field, do wonders to the feeling of safety for staff, reduce customer anxiety and will absolutely have a positive impact on the suppression of new COVID-19 cases.

Rob George Parksville