Talk of the Town on Wearing a Face Mask to Protect Others from COVID-19

Talk of the Town on Wearing a Face Mask to Protect Others from COVID-19

Rosanne Fortier News Correspondent

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, the City of Toronto has a bylaw that came into effect on July 7 making it mandatory for their residents to wear a face mask in all public and enclosed indoor spaces. They do not need to wear masks while they are inside their own homes or when they are eating at a restaurant patio, and at most workplaces where people can observe physical distancing.

When I asked citizens of Vegreville what their thoughts were on wearing a face mask, Bryan Butler said he and his wife, Ardythe are both strong proponents of wearing face masks to protect others. “It has been made fairly clear by doctors and scientists that the person wearing a face mask is protecting others, not necessarily protecting themselves. If you are a neighbour and you want to take care of your neighbours; I think that that is a nice thing to do.”

Marlene Giebelhaus said she does not have a problem with wearing a face mask. “I have worn a face mask on occasion when I don’t know what to expect when I am going someplace as it is not mandatory but recommended in Alberta to wear a face mask. At the Vegreville Farmers Market, it is not mandatory, and it is up to the person if they want to wear a face mask or not. Personally, I think it is important to wear a mask because if you were having the sniffles or something like that; you wouldn’t be giving those germs to someone else.”

Another resident of Vegreville, Orest Fodchuk said he is 100 percent for wearing a face mask because he feels a person is protecting themselves and the other people. “Some people think they don’t have to wear a mask and have the right to reject the mask. I do not agree with this because if you ride a motorcycle, it is compulsory to wear a helmet, if you get into a car it is compulsory to wear a seat belt.”

Lisa Topilko said a person who is wearing a face mask is giving a gift to the community. “They are saying to the community I might have this infection and not be aware that I have this infection. What I am going to do is try and stop this infection whether I have it or not from spreading in my community. When I am outdoors, the risks of me spreading the infection is much lower than if I am indoors. So indoors I will choose to wear a mask particularly when I am in a space where I can’t be far away from others and that is my gift to the community. It is a mutually beneficial habit if everyone does it, then we are all doing it for each other; not for ourselves because we know the wearer of the mask is not protected from infection as much as they stop the infection from hurting someone else.”