MASK CONFUSION
Exemption program under review
The City of Edmonton is scrambling to find a path forward for mask exemption cards two weeks after distribution was abruptly halted due to significant abuse of the program.
Interim city manager Adam Laughlin told city councillors during a COVID -19 update Thursday afternoon that the program may be dissolved if a solution can’t be found.
“Administration continues to assess the mask and face-covering exemption card program and viability and we’re securing input from subject matter experts. We’ve connected with the business improvement areas and we will be engaging with the accessibility advisory committee for their input and feedback,” Laughlin said.
“We are still working through the operational, technical and financial assessment and we may find that we are challenged to land on a solution that is affordable, fully meets the needs of those who may benefit from an exemption card and provides the rigour that businesses need to ensure the card is reliable confirmation of an exemption.”
As residents wait for a decision on the program — which Laughlin previously said he was hoping would be made last week—complaintsare increasing. the city has received an increase in calls about non-compliance of the mask bylaw, specifically about businesses where employees are wearing face shields instead of masks, Laughlin said. Face shields aren’t considered appropriate under the bylaw if they don’t cover the chin.
There has also been an increase in complaints from residents with legitimate exemptions under the bylaw who are being turned away from businesses, Laughlin said. Some residents with these exemptions haven’t been able to pick up an exemption card since distribution ended after only four days.
The exemption cards were brought in by the city just one week after the mandatory mask bylaw came into effect Aug. 1 after a slew of concerns from exempt residents being turned away from businesses for not wearing a mask.
People who are unable to place or remove a face covering without assistance or have a physical or mental limitation that prevents them from wearing a mask are exempt under the bylaw.
But the initial program allowed for residents to pick up exemption cards at seven recreation centres without providing any proof of exemption, leading to misuse. Council heard that compliance of the mask bylaw is around 96 per cent across all facilities.
Much of Thursday’s meeting focused on the urgency to find housing support for the city’s homeless population after Downtown Ward 6 Coun. Scott Mckeen voiced his frustration. Camp Pekiwewin in Rossdale continues to support the community with 170 tents on site, but Mckeen said urgent permanent, supportive housing is required with support from the provincial and federal governments.
“I’m at my wit’s end. I’m really frustrated and angry. My email inbox and the phones into my office are constant about homelessness, social disorder, crime and fear,” he said. “This is a catastrophe within a pandemic within a crisis. We have to do something.”
Mayor Don Iveson echoed Mckeen’s plea for action and is calling on the province to invest in permanent housing before the winter hits. He said he is working with other mayors to bring forward short-term housing proposals, such as using vacant space like hotels or empty buildings.
“We have an emergency. It’s creating unacceptable social disorder in a number of communities in our city and in our downtown and I’m hearing that loud and clear,” Iveson said. “Something must be done. Not in three years or five years, sure we’ve got to keep building these units that we’ve committed to, but we do need a creative, interim solution for housing.”
Meanwhile, the city is recommending a 50-per-cent reduction to vehicle-for-hire licensing fees this year to help companies get back on their feet. The industry is facing financial challenges, Laughlin said, and a slow recovery from the pandemic. Council will need to vote on the 50-per-cent fee reduction at a future meeting before it can come into effect.