Learning to embrace the mask
Sydney woman worried many people don’t realize face masks value
SYDNEY— Kellie White is concerned people in Cape Breton are becoming too “complacent” about COVID19 and how quickly it can spread.
The number of maskless people at public indoor spaces is an indicator to the senior laboratory instructor at Cape Breton University that many don’t see the importance of them.
“I’m amazed at how reluctant people around here are to wear masks in public … If we look to the States as an example, we can see how bad it will get,” said White, who has a family member living in Florida who tested positive for COVID-19 recently.
“As a scientist, I’m onboard with mask-wearing because I understand the science and why it works. If we want to keep our economy open and function … get our children back into schools, we need to wear masks (in public spaces).”
The married mother of two has been on a mission to normalize face masks at indoor public places long before the province mandated wearing them.
She’s written emails to municipal departments asking why transit riders aren’t being asked to wear masks and sent questions about mask policies to Sobeys head office.
The responses she got from her emails were similar, stating they were following provincial health protection protocols which didn’t require this when people can social distance and stay at least two meters apart.
“Sure you can go into a grocery store, and practice social distancing,” she said. “But can you be 100 per cent certain, when there are other people who are coming toward you, or up behind you, that they will … Masks are a simple way we can protect ourselves and others.”
POLICIES CHANGING
On Friday, both the provincial government and Nova Scotia Health (formerly the Nova Scotia Health Authority) announced some changes to mask policies.
During a press conference, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Robert Strang and Premier Stephen Mcneil announced wearing masks is mandatory for all drivers and passengers on public transportation services across the province as of July 24. This includes school buses, private taxis, shuttles and transit.
Christina Lamey, the spokesperson for Cape Breton Transit, said they were planning to implement a strategy to “strongly encourage” wearing a face mask while on transit next week before hearing the provincial announcement. Their plan would include bus drivers handing out masks and signage promoting usage.
“If we want to keep our economy open and function … get our children back into schools, we need to wear masks (in public spaces).” Kellie White
“We have increased passenger numbers, as per provincial guidelines, but not that much,” she said. “But it is impossible to properly socially distance on a bus, so we decided we would start to strongly encourage usage by riders.”
Cape Breton Regional Municipality Mayor Cecil Clark said they have been slowly preparing for anything the province called on them to do, as per the provincial state of emergency, and this included plans to promote wearing a mask.
“We follow the province's lead and will follow the protocols they put in place. We also want to keep in mind the best interests of our riders and our drivers as well as what we can do to protect them,” he said.
“We are preparing for any potential new protections we might need, like face masks, in case of a potential second wave in the fall … I bring my face mask with me at all time and I pull it out when I need it in public.”
Nova Scotia Health announced there would be changes to the face mask policy at their facilities and homes an hour before the province's announcements about public transportation.
As of July 21, anyone going to a long-term care facility or a hospital to see an admitted patient or see a doctor in the emergency department will have to wear a mask.
Dr. Lisa Barret is an assistant professor at Dalhousie University who works at the QEII Health Sciences Centre in infectious diseases. She is also one of the experts who has been involved in monitoring what health protection measures needed to be in place during the COVID19 pandemic response and when.
“Mask layer is another layer of protection we are adding, but it doesn't replace social distancing and hand washing. Wearing a mask doesn't mean you can go cuddle,” she said during a phone interview before joining a conference call as part of a national COVID19 response team.
“We can't get rid of the first two layers and expect this one to work. It's like when it's raining and trying to stay warm when you didn't put your fleece under your rain gear. It's not going to work.”
Barrett said now with restrictions on public gatherings and travel between the Atlantic provinces easing, plus businesses open again, people are coming into contact with more people. Thus, having the public wear masks when at the hospital helps protect the people there, especially admitted patients who might be more vulnerable to the virus.
“People ask me all the time, Why the hell didn't you just say this before (to wear a face mask in public),” she said.
“I tell them the risks were different then and we were moving in different patterns. People were staying home. Businesses were closed. It wasn't worth it to mask everyone. Now, it is.”
During today's press conference, Strang reiterated the importance of wearing masks, saying there are few medical reasons someone couldn't wear a mask and suggested people feeling uncomfortable in them should start wearing them for short periods throughout the day.
Barrett also told the Post there were very few people who couldn't wear masks, such as people with anxiety disorder, severe breathing problems or serious skin issues. But she stressed these cases are rare and it's important the majority of people wear face masks.
“We encourage people to wear face masks whenever they can and not just find excuses as to why they can't.”