As new COVID-19 infections jumped to 28 – the highest in many weeks – on Friday and more people support making the wearing of masks mandatory, “John in Burnaby” strolled in with an entitled take.
“I’m never going to wear a mask so stop telling me I should,” said “John in Burnaby” in response to one of my recent columns on the subject.
I should mention here that “John in Burnaby” recognized me from my photo in the newspaper (it’s a gross photo, but what are you going to do?) while I was hanging out on the patio of a local establishment. The conversation was cheery at first, with him saying he read the paper each week.
Then he jumped on me about my blog, which I do recognize is full of items that often rub some people the wrong way. Having an opinion will do that.
“John in Burnaby” was particularly irked by my “obsession” with people wearing masks while in public spaces. I agree it is an “obsession” but I don’t see that as a negative. We’re in the middle of a pandemic and, as I mentioned above, our numbers are starting to go up. Wearing a mask is now recommended as an essential item, along with washing our hands, not touching our faces and keeping at least six feet away from people.
“Masks are uncomfortable,” said “John in Burnaby,” and “I don’t like being told I have to do it.”
Then he stepped off a cliff with his opinions, which definitely rubbed me the wrong way.
“John in Burnaby” thinks it should be mandatory for people in the service industry (I generally agree) to wear a mask.
“They come into contact with more people so they should have to wear a mask,” he said, accurately.
So he thinks servers in restaurants and bars, as well as retail and grocery workers, wearing masks will protect him from spreading COVID-19, but doesn’t think they deserve the same protection from customers like him.
I got that correct, eh?
One aspect of wearing a mask is it’s a sign of respect for service workers risking their lives to ensure other people are taken care of.
It's astonishing that so many people (even in Canada) will angrily and sometimes violently defend their right NOT to wear a mask, but then won't acknowledge the right of others to deny them entry or service because they don't. If that's you, give your head a shake. #WearAMask
— Chris Gailus (@chrisgailus) July 17, 2020
“John in Burnaby” obviously has no respect for those people.
In the meantime, support is growing for mandatory mask policies.
According to a new Ipsos poll conducted for Global News, 79% of Canadians agree that masks should be made mandatory in public places (42% strongly/ 37% somewhat).
Nearly three quarters of Canadians also agree that they support vaccinations against COVID-19 being mandatory once a vaccine is developed, unchanged since this question was first posed to Canadians in May. Support for mandatory vaccines is highest in Saskatchewan and Manitoba (84%), Quebec (77%) and BC (77%), while lower in Atlantic Canada (72%), Ontario (69%) and Alberta (63%).
The Ipsos poll was conducted between July 8 and 10, on behalf of Global News. For this survey, a sample of 1,000 Canadians aged 18+ was interviewed online.
- With files from the Canadian Press
Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44.
