Mask up people, it’s a sign of respect

To mask or not to mask. That is the question as Waterloo Region emerges from its COVID-19 lockdown.

The answer, however, could not be more clear cut. It’s yes.

If you go into a store, mask up. Before you hop aboard a public transit bus or the Ion, put a mask on. Indeed, whenever you’re entering a confined indoor space away from your home or a crowded outdoor area, such as a busy park, cover up with a mask.

We know some people will bristle at the inconvenience this entails. But the case for wearing masks is overwhelming. COVID-19 is highly contagious, potentially lethal, can be tough to treat and cannot yet be prevented by vaccination.

Science-based evidence shows masks can stop the virus that causes this illness from being spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes. While they’re not perfect, masks go a long way to shielding us from harm.

Pure self-interest should be enough to convince everyone to wear a mask in many places when they’re out in public. You don’t want COVID-19. You can protect yourself with a mask. But because COVID-19 is a community-spread disease, we need community participation in beating it.

We all have a responsibility to stop the virus from infecting others. It’s possible you may have caught COVID-19 without knowing it. It’s simply part of being a good citizen to do everything you can to safeguard the health of your neighbours, including those at high risk if they catch the illness as well as those working in businesses where they must come into contact with the public.

All this, of course, inevitably leads to the milliondollar question: Should masks be mandatory?

The Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health unit, for instance, has mandated wearing masks in businesses across its large jurisdiction. People using public transit in Guelph and, as of early July, in Toronto will have to mask up, too.

But while Premier Doug Ford “highly, highly” recommends masking up in confined public places, he won’t make it law. Likewise, Waterloo Region’s public health officials have taken a stand against mandatory face masks. At this point, this is the right decision.

Local businesses, of course, have every right to require their customers to wear a mask. A law dictating this would be problematic.

The region’s acting medical officer of health, Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, points out that an order requiring masks might not survive a court challenge. Then, there’s the even bigger issue of enforcement. There would be thousands of places where a mask would be mandatory in this region. That’s too big a job for bylaw enforcement officers and our regional police would be better working on other matters. A law that goes unenforced will go unrespected.

Moreover, while laws and regulations are important in a well-functioning society, so is courtesy, consideration and sincere concern for others. Most people won’t start a leaf blower when a neighbour has a daytime garden party — even if the law permits it.

Most people don’t need a bylaw or bylaw enforcement officers to ensure public trails and pathways are properly shared by pedestrians, runners and cyclists, either. They don’t need a politician to legislate common sense. They regulate themselves for the common good.

So it should be with masks. If a ferocious second wave of COVID-19 sweeps the region, we should revisit the issue. For now, let’s count on a collective solution to a collective problem.

Wear a mask in confined places outside home. Prove you respect the people around you. They’ll be able to see it in your eyes.