City defends mask exemption cards, honour system
Edmonton’s mask exemption card program will forge ahead despite stiff opposition from local businesses.
More than 2,200 cards have been handed out at select city recreation centres within the last 24 hours for residents to show they are exempt from wearing a mask under the city’s bylaw. Cards started being offered on Saturday, a week into the city’s mandatory mask rule, after some concerns from residents on being challenged for not wearing a mask and being refused service from businesses.
Without any proof of exemption required, City of Edmonton COVID-19 task team chair David Aitken said the city is trusting Edmontonians to only pick up a card if they fall under one of the exemptions, and not to abuse the program.
“It responds to the feedback we’ve received from some members of the public who are exempt and faced challenges navigating in public without a mask or face covering. We heard they are being confronted and, in some cases, denied service. This is not the Edmonton way,” he said. “The program is based on trust and an honour system that Edmontonians will do the right thing.”
Residents who are unable to place or remove a mask without assistance or have a mental or physical limitation that prevents them from wearing a mask are exempt. These individuals can pick up an exemption card at one of the select locations, no questions asked. The idea of the exemption cards was proposed by a resident who had been refused entry at a store because they weren’t wearing a mask, Aitken said. Edmonton is the first Canadian city to adopt such a program.
Compliance of the new mask bylaw remains high, Aitken said, with about 85 per cent of people wearing masks across all indoor public spaces. About 90 per cent of passengers have been wearing masks on the transit system and 96 per cent of recreation centre guests, Aitken said.
If these high compliance figures start to drop or the number of exemption cards skyrocket, Aitken said the city will re-evaluate the program.
“If we see a significant reduction in our compliance levels that would certainly be one of the indicators that we would look at changing the program,” he said. “Ultimately, we know that Edmontonians understand the power of mask wearing and how it contributes to virus containment. It is unfortunate and disappointing to know that some people will see this program as a way to avoid wearing a mask or face covering when they are more than able to do so.”
The city has printed a total of 25,000 cards so far, at a cost of $1,000. Within the next few days, the plan is to launch an online ordering process for the cards so they can be delivered by mail.
Businesses can still choose to refuse service to those not wearing a mask, Aitken said, but the city is encouraging them to permit those with an exemption.
“We would ask those businesses to be cognizant that there are exemptions and there are people who truly cannot wear the masks and we would ask them to consider that,” he said.
The program is based on trust and an honour system that Edmontonians will do the right thing.