City emergency management director Merrick Brown speaks at city hall in this May file photo. Brown gave an update on the city's COVID-19 response to council on Monday, with a majority of councillors now saying they are willing to discuss a mandatory mask bylaw - in two weeks.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
A majority of Medicine Hat city councillors say they will push for a mandatory mask bylaw in two weeks if they don’t see a major turnaround in rising coronavirus numbers across the area.
The same number stressed that the public should heed a call from public health officials and do the responsible thing voluntarily and wear a mask.
The level of support arose during discussion of a presentation by city emergency management officials on the local COVID-19 situation.
After seeing the number of active cases rise from eight to 50 over the past two weeks, city emergency management director Merrick Brown said it is likely the province will add additional restrictions.
“I’m appealing to all members of the public that we need to change our behaviour,” he told council. “If we don’t see changes, then we will see more restrictions. The writing is on the wall.”
Like in other cities with higher rates, that could mean an end to youth sports or indoor fitness classes, he said, but that depends on local rates, and Hatters can reverse the trend by following voluntary calls to limit exposure.
Several times this summer, council members and Mayor Ted Clugston had said that they wouldn’t move a bylaw forward while it seemed that Hatters were doing a good job of keeping new infections low.
Active cases totalling 34 on Friday put Medicine Hat in the range where the province considers additional measures, and another 16 cases were added over the weekend – both are records since the pandemic began March.
Coun. Jamie McIntosh broached the subject in open council, stating that topic had been discussed at length, and he’d like to see action soon.
“I’m at the point where we need to discuss a mask bylaw,” said McIntosh. “The majority of people want to see it and we’re avoiding discussing it tonight. That’s concerning.”
Other councillors spoke to the rising numbers saying they hoped Hatters would voluntarily make changes to safeguard each other, but a bylaw is a possibility.
Coun. Kris Samraj said that if new spread is happening in homes and other places hard to capture in a mask bylaw, he had reservations about mandating mask use.
Instead he called for a new public relations effort to reinforce the message.
“There needs to be something new because people aren’t listening,” he said.
Monday’s meeting ran late and Clugston didn’t speak on the issue during general debate.
Coun. Darren Hirsch said he has concerns about enforcement, and believes Hatters would do what’s right.
“If you’re waiting, finally, for a bylaw, you’re not doing your part,” said Darren Hirsch.
Coun. Phil Turnbull said that wearing a mask is a signal of consideration for others.
Robert Dumanowski and Julie Friesen also said rising numbers might mean the city should step with a bylaw to support Alberta Health Services efforts.
“I’m a guy who doesn’t want the government in my life more than it needs,” said Coun. Jim Turner, who stressed he has some reservations about masks. “Between a mask and a lockdown of the economy, I’ll take the mask.”
Brown also said the majority of new infections appear to be happening in social gatherings, like family dinners and nights out to businesses where citizens “let their guard down.”
“I get it, we’re all getting tired and we all want to go out with friends and family, but that’s were this virus percolates,” he said.
Of the still-standing general advice to wash hands, stay two metres apart and limit non-essential interactions, said Brown, isolation is now the focus.
The province has been reluctant to discuss mask bylaws, though some municipalities in Alberta, like Calgary, Edmonton and other smaller locales, brought in mask bylaws in the spring or summer.
Those often included trigger points or expiration dates based on local cases.
Saskatchewan has instituted a province-wide mask measure, making them mandatory in all towns with more than 5,000 residents.
City Hall is currently ramping up previous internal measures to isolate staff and manage departments considered essential, said Brown.
“We will ensure our essential services are maintained,” said Brown. “We’ll take aggressive measures to make sure of that. However, we need everybody’s help.”
