Council Candidate Kelly Allard has been highly vocal of the city and province's position on the pandemic. She said it is about time something was done given the rise in cases. But she is disappointed with the lack of action at the municipal level (tiffanygoodwein/CHATNews)

By Tiffany Goodwein

Mask mandate receives swift reaction from public and council candidates

Sep 3, 2021 | 6:26 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB- The province’s announcement earlier today that an indoor mask mandate will be reinstated starting Saturday at 8 a.m. has resulted in prompt reaction from members of the public.

The decision is the first time the mandate has been reinstated since the spring. Masks will be in indoor public spaces and workplaces Schools are excluded from the mandate, and the decision has been put in the hands of individual school divisions.

The province said the mask mandate is a necessary move in order to curb the spread of the virus, amid concerns about the highly contagious delta variant, and its impact on hospital capacity.

“Masks will help low the spread of the virus and the impact on the health system, and this is a step we can take with minimal disruption of businesses and people’s normal activities,” health minister Tyler Shandro said.

But even with the new mask mandate, the province said they will not be going forward with a vaccine passport, something the opposition NDP was quick to criticize following the announcement this morning.

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“Today Jason Kenney failed to do his job as Premier. Jason Kenney wants to go back to restrictions. I want Alberta to move forward with passports,” Opposition leader Rachel Notley said.

In Medicine Hat, opinions were divided. Currently, the city has 569 active cases, with 27 people in the hospital, with five in the ICU.

“I thought we were over all that crap. It’s just such a pain in the ass,” one man downtown said.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with people, and why they are not wearing their masks,” one woman said.

Some municipal election candidates also weighed in. Kelly Allard has long been critical of the lack of action from the city and province and said it’s about time something was done. Four years ago Allard’s husband Carl nearly died of the flu and spent 30 days on life support.

She said she is disheartened at the lack of action from municipal and provincial leaders when it comes to a virus as serious as COVID-19. The city passed a mask mandate in December but it expired in March, and the city deferred to the province.

“ You don’t have to wait for the province to do something. The province has dropped the ball.” Allard said.

“Our mayor should be out there telling people to do the right thing, you know wear a mask, social distance, get vaccinated. But he is silent. He is the face of the city and our numbers are skyrocketing and he doesn’t seem to care.” Allard said.

Council candidate Shila Sharps echoed similar views and said more leadership at the municipal level should of occurred long before the province made its announcement today.

“ When you are in those positions of leadership, you actually have to lead. You don’t have to pick any longer or bring your own personal feelings in, you have to lead for the community and you have to say okay what is good or greater good for the community, whether you believe in it or not,” Sharps said.

But Mark Asham, another council candidate, doesn’t think it is any level of government’s role to intervene.

“Governments should not mandate what people have a choice of. People should have a choice if they want to wear a mask, or if they don’t. If they want to get vaccinated or they don’t. Establishments should have a choice whether they allow someone in if they are wearing a mask or vaccinated or not,” he said.

The mayor was unavailable for an interview Friday Prior to the province’s announcement, there were plans to discuss a mask mandate at the city level in a closed-door meeting on Tuesday. But the city confirmed they will be following the provincial mandate when it comes to masking.