Mayor Ted Clugston showed support for a new mandatory mask bylaw the day after he voted against it, but was still voicing his opinion that he'd have liked to see what would happen without one.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
A mandatory mask bylaw is officially in place in Medicine Hat, but the debate appears to be continuing on.
The 90-day measure was approved by a 6-3 council vote at a special meeting Wednesday.
Fines of up to $50 can be levied on those who do not wear a face mask in publicly accessible buildings, like businesses, buses and taxis, and do not qualify under a list of exemptions.
A brief social media post by the News about the result garnered more than 1,000 comments within hours. Responses ranged from support for council’s decision and medical directives, to pointed questions about mask effectiveness and need.
Councillors in favour argued that the relatively simple measure would help slow the spread of the coronavirus and help stem rising local case numbers.
Some of those opposed cited “unsettled science,” the difficulty of enforcing the measure, or whether it was needed, including Mayor Ted Clugston.
He issued a statement in support of the bylaw, but also renewed his arguments on a Calgary talk radio show Thursday morning.
“I was happy to see (high) compliance without the bylaw, and felt it was unnecessary – I’ll get behind the decision, but I had second thoughts.” he told the CBC Eyeopener.
He added that his family has connections to the medical profession (his father and brother were doctors), but also claims the medical profession is split on mask use. He also repeated his hope that Medicine Hat would have proved a good “test case” for minimal official restrictions leading to lower cases.
Councillors on both sides of the issue said they have heard overwhelming feedback from the community on the issue.
This week a group of 20 local doctors signed a letter calling for a bylaw to be addressed at a special meeting, with co-signatures from more health-care professionals, nurses, business owners and others.
Speaking with local media on Wednesday Clugston cited a 1,000-name petition from those arguing personal freedom over blanket health orders, as well as support for a bylaw from the business community.
“I’m trying to walk a fine line and there’s no winning here,” said Clugston.
“There are people out there thinking this is the end of days and we’re all gonna die, which, I don’t know why you’d think that … and there are people who think it’s all made up, fabricated by the media, which obviously it’s not.”
“It’s somewhere in the middle and I’ve tried to bring people to the middle,” he said, while describing the province’s strategy of allowing businesses to remain open but at lower capacity during the recent surge in cases.
The official statement released after the council vote states that the city maintains the province is ultimately responsible for health matters.
“We are asking the community to find peace with this decision and treat one another with respect and kindness,” wrote Clugston. “I know our community can get through this challenging time together.”
The city clarified some aspects of the “Mandatory Face Covering Bylaw” in a midday release.
The measure doesn’t give business owners or anyone in the general public the right to demand proof of an exemption, though bylaw officers have that discretion.
The measure does not have effect in the hospital, post-secondary institutions or daycares, though those provincially regulated areas have their own policies about mask requirements.
It does not apply to private residences or private, not-for-hire vehicles.
