BY SHELLEY CARROLL Before I get into this week's e-blast: Earlier this week, City Council approved several changes to policing in Toronto. I support these changes and am looking forward to working hard over the remainder of this term to get them implemented. I have spoken about this at length in prior e-blasts, so I won't get into the details here.
I've posted the full motion on my website for your reference. I know this is a subject many of you are passionate about — if you want to discuss this with me personally, please contact me so we can arrange a time to talk.
On a related note, my office has been experiencing a high volume of calls as part of the activist movement around this vote. Our voicemail inbox has filled up several times to the point of not being able to receive any messages.
I want to assure you that we are trying our best to free up our voicemail inbox as quickly as possible and that we are not ignoring you. Please remember if you are unable to leave a voicemail, the best way to get in touch is by emailing me at councillor_carroll@toronto.ca.
As of July 7th, the "to wear or not to wear a mask?” dilemma is over: Council is making it mandatory. We know there are as many different opinions on the matter as there are types of face coverings but it's time to decide in favour of masks for everyone’s safety.
As we gradually re-open businesses and public services, your social circle is probably widening. Some of us are returning to work, stepping inside more stores or visiting relatives. So, it's time to be more vigilant about wearing a mask to protect others from the contacts you have had. As I drove around Don Valley North on Canada Day, I saw lots of clumps of parked cars, the tell-tale signs of backyard parties. No judgement here — we all held out as long as we could before risking seeing family and friends. I’m the last to judge as I’ve kept a wide family circle from the start for care-giving reasons. How have I stayed healthy? I ordered 100 masks on Amazon as soon as I heard medical staff supply was improving.
What are the rules? After much legal opinion going back and forth, Toronto City Council is following definitive advice from our own Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Eileen de Villa: “City Council has enacted a temporary bylaw requiring the person or organization who owns or is responsible for the operation of a facility or business to have a policy to ensure masks or face coverings be worn by the public in the enclosed public spaces under their control, subject to appropriate exemptions for individuals who are unable to wear a mask or face covering for medical reasons, children under two years old, and other reasonable accommodations. The policy shall include corresponding signage and training for staff on the requirements of this bylaw.” — Dr. Eileen de Villa That sounds like a bunch of legalese, I know. What it boils down to is pretty much what the doctor has been telling you all along: when you are in a place where physical distancing is a challenge, you’ve got to cover your mouth and nose. We are asking proprietors and managers of indoor spaces such as stores, salons and coffee shops to have a policy requiring you to wear a face covering. We will do the same for all public facilities like the TTC, libraries, offices and more. In fact, face coverings for all users of the TTC are already mandatory. This is especially important as more and more people are starting to return to work. To support riders during this switch, the TTC will distribute one million non-medical masks to people who need one.
I know this is a big adjustment, but the new mask rules aren’t forever. They will be reviewed again when Council meets at the end of September. We will know by then if re-opening businesses, schools and other facilities has happened safely. Cautionary tales We hope everyone co-operates with the mask bylaw but Council is taking steps to be heavier-handed if necessary. We are asking the provincial and federal governments to enact similar laws specific to the City of Toronto, so that if we find we have the same silliness that has happened in parts of the United States, there will be no grey area where the law is concerned. The pandemic is still with us and we're learning more about how it's transmitted every day. But there is still so much more we need to know before there is a successful vaccine. In the meantime, we can gradually re-start and re-build our economy as long as we are all willing to be prepared and mask up.
Not doing so will almost certainly mean going back into lockdown, like we're seeing in California this week. None of us want that — that goes especially for the many Torontonians whose livelihoods have been affected by the pandemic and the many thousands for whom contracting COVID-19 can be deadly.
My advice to you is to always have a mask, scarf or some kind of face covering handy whenever you leave the house. Just wear it whenever you are asked to. Why argue and risk becoming famous on Tik Tok under the hashtag #antimasker? If you want that kind of fame, just learn a new dance and teach it to your mother.
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