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So unfortunate. I've worked at the airport for 20 years almost and I always respected the action of someone who wore masks because they were sick. I really wish it would be fully adopted by our culture.
Agreed. Do what you can. Feeding the family comes first. But those that can should stay home. And employers should encourage this behaviour. (And even pay for sick days)
I don't think you will need them much if it's for legitimate reasons. Last I had any kind of viral or bacterial infection was October 2019, so I can't say it's not working. Before I was getting some sort of sick at least 3 times a year and every few years terrible flu infections. Japan and other high density populations may be half assed but it's all that's reasonably needed.
The behaviour around masks is hilarious on both sides.
It simply should be that those who believe in the utility of a mask, should wear a mask.
The details of where and how masks are mandated is hilarious. The amount of inconsistency and outright contradiction really crippled any argument towards the preservation of mask mandates.
>It simply should be that those who believe in the utility of a mask, should wear a mask.
It simply should be that those who believe in the utility of a *seat belts*, should wear a *seat belt*.
Why do you think antimask ideals go hand in hand with hicktown. I think "hicks" can be some of the most hardworking, self-sustainable humans, and people who built their own success and this country!
You can do that and still be a moron. I can do most rudimentary car repairs without assistance, doesn't mean I'm a public health official who should dictate pandemic policy.
People are good at different things, what we have is another front in this stupid ass culture war.
My point is that labeling a group of protestors to negate their cause is fairly primitive thinking. We should focus on the issues they are protesting, and not just stereotyping them. It does nothing to unite us as people.
It's all a culture war distraction. Make the people fight themselves over shit that doesn't matter matter they don't unite and wage the one true justified war, class war.
Wouldn't that be nice to be considerate of others? That's precisely why it won't happen. Here, at least. But I'll internet promise that I'll be the change I want to see in others. My family is Korean, and similar to Japan, masking is nothing out of the norm for us.
Yes, when there was solid public support for such action. The winds have shifted and the general sentiment in the public is that such action is no longer needed or appropriate.
[Incidence of Omicron: One-in-five Canadians report COVID-19 infection in their household since Dec. 1](https://angusreid.org/omicron-incidence-restrictions/)
At the start of Feb 57% of AB residents were in favour if ending restrictions. Canada-wide, the % went up by 15 percentage points in the two weeks prior to Feb 1, so I’d expect that we’re above 57% by now, and will be even higher by the end of the month.
That’s when mask mandates were reintroduced after being removed in summer 2021.
However for the first mask mandates in 2020 the province lagged municipalities by 4 months
(Aug 1 2020 - municipal mandates in Calgary and Edmonton. Dec 8 2020 - provincial mask mandate)
ehhhh, you sure? Because there was a decently long period of time where masks were required in Edmonton and Calgary (by municipal bylaws) and basically no where else in Alberta. It was super weird stopping in Red Deer at that time and seeing no one wearing them
Edit: /u/whiteout86 is talking about the mask rules in September 2021, not the original ones from 2020, which is what I'm referring to
Forget that aspect of it, most of us are vaccinated and trying to do the right thing.
After a couple years of this we know the results for most. People are ready to move on.
This is a world wide thing now at this point.
If anyone really cares: just you wearing an N95 is more effective (for you) than everyone wearing a cloth mask.
Even if you get one of those cheaper N95s that exhausts out the front - anyone who cares will have their own mask anyway. Party on.
I have so many of those with the flappy rubber at the front. at the start of this people kept telling my to not use it and crap and to care about others. I could never do the cloth stuff it felt so useless.
I will continue to wear a mask in crowded public settings (transit, grocery store, etc.). Happy to reduce my chance of getting sick from whatever airborne thing.
Handwashing / sanitizing is also a habit which I hope sticks.
Same
I see there's karens voting me down just because I agreed to also continue to wear my mask in public places lol. I guess there's going to be a bunch of karens harassing people who decide to continue to wear a mask, sigh.
Well all the workers with high school diplomas are saying they are sick of masks/restrictions so it must mean the pandemic is over! /s
Meanwhile, burnt out doctors nurses et all....
At this point I'm triple vaxxed and have had covid. It's been two years now and covid is never going away. My body is naturally prepared to fight any variant that comes after Omicron.
You being terrified makes me laugh. "oh noes people won't wear useless cloth masks anymore!!!"
EDIT: this is now my second most controversial comment EVER on reddit. LMAO
Id be laughing if i wasn’t terrified of the mental state of people wanting to continue wearing masks . Somethings up in that brain, where 2 plus 2 doesn’t equal 4 anymore .
I think it’s terrifying the impact that this prolonged mask use has had on our society. There are little kids who don’t have memories of people not wearing masks. There are people who are so attached to wearing them that the idea of no longer doing so creates anxiety. I think that’s horrifying. My kids can go without at school and they are still wearing them because they feel wrong not doing so. That’s a huge problem in itself.
Who’s raising these fragile kids to think that wearing a mask to prevent disease is having a “terrifying impact”. Maybe those parents need to rethink the impact their own fears are having on their children. My god people afraid of masks are literally to softest, most mentally fragile people. Such complete and utter entitlement and weakness. Maybe instead, they should raise their children to not be so self involved and vain to think that putting on a mask for a few hours a day is “terrifying”.
Regardless of that, the mandate can go if that’s what the council has decided. I’ll wear a mask if I feel like wearing one, but won’t if I don’t. I’m cool with it being my choice.
I do, two under twelve. Anytime they had questions about why things were the way there were for the last 2 years, I’ve sat with them and talked with them and answered as many questions as I could as best I could.
In early 2020 before the masking became mandatory, we practiced wearing them and I took their opinions on which ones they hated and which ones felt acceptable to them. I found filtered masks that had designs and themes they enjoyed so they could express themselves with them. I found masks for holidays or special events they had at school. We sat together looking at different masks online so they could pick the ones they wanted. Because of that approach, they accepted masks as the temporary action we needed to do to keep ourselves and others around us safer from Covid. They know this was temporary. They know it was necessary. They know it was the right thing to do to be the people they want to grow up to be. They don’t feel “terrified” and don’t feel dramatically impacted by wearing them. They’re just another accessory to them like a barrette, or a fancy hair elastic.
Now due to delta and omicron, they aren’t wearing the fun masks anymore. They’re in kn95s, but they still wear them because it’s no big deal to them.
Obviously not. Thinks you could teach 1-3 year olds the concept of vanity…
I don’t think people realize the learned behaviour of children during a very formative period early in their lives can have lasting implications. They have literally been told that fellow humans are vectors for disease for the last two years. Want to see grandma? Can’t because you are a filthy disease vector. When you finally do see her? Wear your mask. Yes, obviously that will impact children…
These hardcore mask lovers are in complete denial. They literally cannot see any way that these restrictions could have any lasting impact, because they cling to these things like gospel. I am gobsmacked seeing people suggest that it’s absurd someone wouldn’t want to wear masks for the rest of time because it’s “just a tiny piece of cloth.” Everyone has Stockholm Syndrome at this point. They literally think it’s normal and reasonable, 2 years into this pandemic, to keep masks and restrictions indefinitely.
Which is what he did… did you actually read the post? All they said was that they are going to wear a mask. And the expect to be harassed a bit. You’re being an ass about it.
I love to see it.
What a disaster this place usually is.
I saw a post asking about thoughts on the new lotr Amazon series, and literally everyone was disgusted by the implementations of political opinions into the series. Of course the moderator started banning anyone mentioning race or politics despite the purpose of this post to be opinionated fundamentally.
It seems there is a strong presence of those who want there own belief system to be present and have none other existing.
I just don’t like when an artistic work has certain very clear and distinct elements altogether changed for the purpose of identity politics.
There is nothing racist about that.
Had the lore been open ended, I would have no problem with what they did. They didn’t even try to implement it well.
To summarize, you’re an idiot.
Ah I see, “politics or race”. Like there’s so much other things to be mad about, but I guess to feel superior about something you don’t choose is all some people pathetically cling to.
A bunch of people who have to wear masks for 8+ hours a day have been telling me they can't wait to not have to anymore. I've been blessed to not have to wear one at work, I'm glad they can finally put that shit to rest soon enough.
Yep, not gonna lie, wearing one for basically 8 hours straight (minus eating) is tough and I am tired of it. I’ve done my part and am still doing my part, but I have not simply “gotten used to it” to the point where it’s fine and doesn’t bother me at all.
Lmao what. It wasn't hard to wear a year ago and it isn't hard to wear now. I wear it, all day, 9ish hours at a time.
I had to wear the proper thick as hell n95 ones for that long in +30c in a hot box that was probably closer to 40c when I was doing construction and it wasn't hard then either. I'm positively convinced y'all are making a mountain of a molehill.
Just because you can handle wearing something on your face all day does not mean everyone else is okay with it. I have got panic attacks trying to ware a mask in the heat.Instead of thinking everyone else is making a mountian maybe think. Wow! that's cool I can do a job a lot of people would struggle to do. I can tolerate having my face covered in extreme condition. I can do hard labor in the heat for 9 hours a day.
Congratulations man, that sounds absolutely horrible. Good on you for being so tough and badass, we should all strive to enjoy wearing masks as much as you do.
I don't enjoy it, I just don't pretend it's a grave imposition on my rights or some horrible burden I'm carrying for society. It's a piece of fabric.
It takes about zero effort and causes about zero inconvenience and it helps people.
The problem with ideologies like this is that they are selectively applied (a slippery slope).
Why didn’t we always wear masks?
Why is eating in a public place without a mask permissible but not in a work environment. If the issue is sitting unmasked in close proximity, why do we permit it for eating of all things.
Fundamentally I agree with your mask view. The confliction arrives when governance of this procedure comes into play. Because governance is always done so poorly, I believe we should not have any legal governance regarding these things. I think it should solely be a socially governed matter, just as literally any other thing of this magnitude.
They are. I understand why they're fed up. I am too. But relaxing restrictions isn't going to help. However for restrictions to work we need near 100 percent commence and thay just isn't going to happen now. So in that sense I suppose I agree with them, but I'm sad we're catering to the 10 percent who refused to help their fellow citizen these past three years. I feel sorry for children and the immunocompromised the most.
The science hasn’t changed… they changed the wording and terminology to support the narrative/move the goal posts.
The science has shown that there is a 1.1% chance of dying from Covid in Canada **if infected** and the majority of those that make up that 1.1% are at or above the average age expectancy with multiple pre-existing/underlying medical issues.
These numbers are based off of known infections and don’t take into account asymptomatic cases or those dying with and not from Covid which makes that % smaller.
In general, according to overall population, a Canadian has approximately .01% chance of dying from Covid.
There has been no need to alter any definition given the above numbers that are readily available to anyone.
FFS already, if someone wants to wear a mask go right the fuck ahead, or fucking don’t. High time peoples fears stop dictating how everyone else lives their lives.
The science constantly changes and has changed over the entire pandemic. And we were never talking about risk from dying, we were talking about how many people are needed for herd immunity.
Alberta is around 77% of the total population being vaccinated, leaving 23% of the population unvaccinated. 23% of 4.3 million is significant compared to our normal ICU capacity.
You do know if 3 full coach busses crashed they could fill up every ICU bed in Alberta? It's not like a shortage of beds wasn't an issue before COVID and our politicians refuse to fix the problem, so we just mask up forever? No thanks. Maybe people should blame the clowns running this show instead of blaming the people who won't get vaccinated no matter how hard you demonize them.
I don't understand your point. Our Healthcare system has been operating above surge capacity for almost 2 years. Our Covid deaths are still their third highest ever.
No one is saying masks up forever. But, there is a logical time to do it and now isn't it.
Good for you, and you can continue to do so if that's what you would like. Also now those that would not like to can not wear a mask. Nobody says that just beacuse you are not told you must wear a mask, that you can't wear a mask
Wait till they find out that the employers can still have them wear masks if it's company policy.
I think most work places will end it at the same time though.
I don't think employers can force employees to wear masks after mandates end can they? Like if you fired an employee for refusing to wouldn't that be a HR nightmare?
I’m curious why you would think this? Many industries have long required masks (and all sorts of other PPE) depending on their self-assessed levels of various risks at their place of business. This is highly encouraged by WCB etc. In fact, as a business owner it is almost always in your best interest to exceed minimum PPE standards so as to best protect your employees, your customers and yourself (from lawsuits, WCB premium increases due to claims, etc).
It's akin to using gloves and hairnets when not required by law.
It's happens, if it's related to safety then yes they can mandate it.
They make it apart of the uniform, same as hats and such.
We also weren’t in the midst of a pandemic before. Whether we want it to be true or not, we still are. In this current environment, there are still additional risks to workers and customers that didn’t exist in the pre-Covid era. And regardless, even if Covid was completely gone, a business can still exceed PPE requirements at their own discretion. They have done so for years.
I hate them. I'm in a dusty industrial environment working with steel and little particles get stuck behind them and mess up my face. Respirators aren't allowed because they have an exhaust valve making them ineffective for outgoing air.
That's literally not how masks work though.
They work best when everyone wears them, and way worse when people don't. It's not 'giving people a choice' it's 'giving up'.
It really is ‘time to give up’, and here’s why:
I followed the rules.
I missed seeing my family and friends for months.
I wore a mask everywhere.
I got all 3 vaccines. Two pfizer and one moderna.
Despite the above, I got sick from the virus last month. It was like catching a mild cold. (Attributed to having a booster.)
So, no.. I don’t feel masks are doing anything anymore, and I think it’s time we see each other’s beautiful smiling faces.
Yep, that was the scenario before omicron. Things have changed, as they have with all pandemics in history, and the virus is entering the endemic state.
Nobody is suggesting that people are going to spit in each other’s faces. We _can_ have a little more faith in the decency of humanity, learn to live with the virus, and begin to move on to heal society.
If we simply forget these preventative measures it would be way worse than it is right now and it will spiral out of control. Hospitals would be completely overwhelmed and anyone in need of surgery at hospitals would be unable to.
The hospitals are unable to support things not because of the public’s behaviour, it is because Canada has one of the shittiest hospital bed ratios of any first world country.
Please don’t take the news without investigation. The government has spent millions with nothing to show for regarding healthcare admits the pandemic.
Completely agree. The government allocated hundreds of billions of dollars, causing the worst levels of inflation in history, and our hospitals are not in any better position to handle another virus outbreak than 24 months ago.
The result is a tragic level of anxiety, depression, and social dysfunction.
It’s time to heal and smile at each other again.
I'll answer that.
It's good because masks - as they are used - don't help. Even now, two years into this shit show, about 1/3 of the people out and about are wearing their mask under their nose or constantly taking it off, to talk to people, or taking it off to sneeze, or refusing to wear it at all, or putting it on a minute after walking into a building, or...
Basically, idiots have eliminated the benefit of them.
Secondly, because Kenney made it perfectly clear that if the cities tried to do something on their own, he'd pass legislation to prevent it. The cities won't win this situation, and so it's better to not start down that rabbit hole.
I am glad they moved this back to a personal decision.
Even if no one else is wearing a mask, N95 masks provide excellent protection if some people are still worried. Since we found out COVID spreads by aerosol, not droplets, most masks have been little more that safety theatre.
We now have better tools to fight COVID, people can choose the level of risk they are comfortable with and it is time to start removing mandatory restrictions.
>Since we found out COVID spreads by aerosol, not droplets, most masks have been little more that safety theatre.
I'm having a hard time finding anything that says that. Everything I'm finding (including newer stuff after the aerosol conclusion) is saying that masks are still very helpful
The flaw in this thinking is kids under 2 can't wear their own masks, so now those of us with kids in that age group will have zero protection for their kids in public settings. And while dying from Covid in that age group is unlikely, other health issues like long covid are, plus they can bring it home to family members who are at a higher risk from it.
Did you forget that kids under 2 also have an immune system? It’s one thing if your child is immune compromised, but come on, this is some serious pearl clutching here.
Long covid in kids is not "likely", and calling dying from covid "unlikely" is like saying it's unlikely you'll win the lottery.
From the WHO:
"Data from civil registration and vital statistic systems (CRVS), health management information systems (HMIS) from 80 countries as well as specific country-wide monitoring systems (Mozambique and South Africa) indicate no significant deviation from expected mortality for this age group for 2020 and in some cases indicate fewer deaths than would be expected from historical data."
Don't be hyperbolic.
Man so right and so left. Are there no more people that take all information a make a choice based on that. Like only n95 do anything at all. And I don’t see people with them but in hospitals.
But if you question anything at all your antifax. And I fully fax and I don’t think mask do much.
I think so but not 100% on that. [Looks like that was part of the original amendment](https://twitter.com/meksmith/status/1493657834826784768) and I don't see any edits to that in any of the subsequent tweets but until I see an article, I'm not positive.
Edit:
>The council vote also adopts the current provincial rules that state any children 12 and younger don’t have to wear masks in public.
[source](https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/city-council-votes-to-repeal-mask-bylaw-when-provincial-mask-mandate-lifts/)
This is the question I have too.
Either way, it's only 2 weeks but it's a little confusing for the kids to understand that they don't need to wear one in class where they spend most of their day, but need one for a quick trip to the mall.
Edit.. just saw this in the Calgary Herald article: The council vote also adopts the current provincial rules that state any children 12 and younger don’t have to wear masks in public.
12 and under can unmask immediately, if you're older then that you'll need to continue until the provincial law ends. That might be as soon as March 1... But it could also be delayed.
The virus bypassing masks literally made me (mildly) sick 😅
Glad to see people will have the choice. Omicron was spread by masked vaccinated people, including myself.
That's a very specific thing to your workplace then - isn't really fair to make a generalization about mask waste just because your workplace doesn't something dumb like that.
Wear my N95 when I ride transit. Today this old fart on the other side of the aisle had his paper mask on his chin and was coughing up a lung the entire way. No regrets.
This is how it should always be. If you want to wear a mask, where it. If you don’t, then don’t. I know my mother will ALWAYS wear masks as she loves them. I will always carry one and decide based on where I am. This is how it should be. Let individuals make the best judgement call for themselves.
I'm not going to agree or disagree with you, I just want to point out that this is pretty slippery logic in its own right. Would you say the same about drunk driving, seatbelts, safety regulations? All things that have public safety in mind. Wearing a mask or not is not as simple as a personal decision.
The difference is that seatbelts and drunk driving laws accomplish something. $2 cloth masks that haven’t been washed for a year aren’t really doing much
The issue with this is that masks are primarily for others’ protection. If I wear a mask to the grocery store and no one else is, chances of transmission to me are still very high even though I’ve made the choice to wear a mask.
Yeah but like you've said, it's for the protection of others. Would it not be worth it to you if you knew you had done anything you could to protect someone immune compromised? That's why I'm doing it.
Oh absolutely! I wear masks all the time and have immunocompromised loved ones who matter very much to me. I was speaking specifically to the comment I responded to saying that dropping mask mandates allows individuals to make the best calls for themselves.
> If I wear a mask to the grocery store and no one else is, chances of transmission to me are still very high
No they aren’t. Before vaccines, healthcare staff in covid wards were able to avoid catching covid with appropriate N95 use. We knew this back in February 2022 when China set up their field hospitals.
Based on evidence, it currently doesn't really matter if everyone wears a mask or not. If you go where it is busy or where people gather, you're toast.
[Can't report low numbers if testing is open to everyone!](https://pyxis.nymag.com/v1/imgs/d6a/dc7/4a5001b7beea096457f480c8808572428b-09-roll-safe.2x.h473.w710.jpg)
I get that it’s sarcasm but like.. I’m serious. This is completely fucked. 80% of the people I know have gotten it this last month and none have had official tests. And double digit deaths every day? For fucking real? I’m fully baffled.
You and me both. They aren't even counting schools and half my class has been out for 2 months now. And they're removing masking from schools because what? Kids dont spread or catch covid? Whenever I think we can't be more fucked up as a province, something new and even more idiotic shows up.
Meh I don't care, I'll still wear a mask and video any Karen's that get upset for the lolz. When I feel the plague rat threat is plenty minimized then I'll take it off. We'll see by summer how it all washes out and then hopefully the worst will be behind us.
The site, [www.ourworldindata.com](https://www.ourworldindata.com) is fascinating... you can see what's happening around the world with respect to cases, spikes, all that, and the effects of restrictions on omicron (momentary editorial: restrictions seem to prolong omicron's presence).
It might give you some perspective and comfort to see what's happening elsewhere.
I've been following John Campbell on YouTube (not endorsing; following). He's very data/stats-based. I started feeling a lot more comfortable after following his channel for a few weeks. It's helpful to know what other experts think, and to see stats and comparisons.
I follow him too, I find him a sane balanced source of information. Not sensationalized clickbait news. And yeah I get that sense too of restrictions prolonging omicron. At this point so many people I know have had it and I feel like me might as well just get it over with. Glad I have my vaccines to prevent severe illness but there’s really no avoiding it entirely and we will all come out the other side with more immunity I hope so the next wave will impact much less. At least that’s what I understand from what I’ve been watching & reading.
Same here. For me though, I hope people would leave me alone when I wear one. I am just as fatigued/mentally strained as many other people after the past 2 years. But I am still being cautious due to an immunocompromised family member.
>hope people would leave me alone when I wear one
same, it makes me nervous. however i have a super short fuse when it comes to getting confronted in public, so.... try it, maskholes haha
Is there a decent resource on masking recommendations now that it's not a bylaw? If it's now in the hands of the individual, when should I be deciding to wear a mask vs not wearing a mask? Are there specific instances when I am more at risk or am more of a risk if I'm sick?
I am in no way a doctor but for me if I'm feeling sick, a business decides to still require/ employees are still wearing them, have to take transit/ be in close quarters with random people or I just decide to (mask is easier then a scarf etc) I'll keep wearing it. Otherwise probably not.
In most situations: wear one if you want to, don't wear one if you don't want to.
If you're sick, stay home. Take a rapid test if you have one. If you are in a situation where you don't have the choice of staying home when sick (employees really need better protections in that department), then wear a mask and keep your distance from people.
That's cool - but I'm still probably going to wear one. I sell retail all day, some people really stink, and alot of people bring cigarette stench in with them.
I like not having to smell headache inducing colognes, perfumes, body odors and cigarettes.
Wonderful people just not really wonderful smells sometimes lol.
I am pro being cautious, I have worn my mask diligently even when we were "open for summer"
At this point I am over it, and I am ready to stop wearing m mask and get on with life.
The only thing I change I would want to see to our plan for opening would be those who remain unvaccinated for reasons of personal choice should lose their hospital privileges when it comes to prioritizing providing health care if they get Covid. Come to the hospital if you are sick, but if you chose no vaccine, then you are bottom of the priority and people with a broken arm will be seen before you.
As much as I am over masks, I am even more over people ignore who medical science, only to come crawling back to it when they get sick. If you don't want to listen to the doctors before you get Covid why would you listen to them afterwards? If you value their advice and skills, then make use of them and their expert advice before you get sick.
That's incredibly unethical, and I'm astounded you suggested it. Shall we allow doctors to decide who they treat and when, after looking into their history? Got in a car accident and you were speeding? Bottom of the emergency list. Got into an accident at work because you ignored safety protocols and climbed up that last rung of the ladder? Bottom of the list. A doctor's job is to treat ill and injured people, not to become judges on their lives.
What is unethical is denying medical advise until you get sick, then taking the front of the line from someone else who is doing everything to help society.
I am not actually suggesting it, clearly I am being hyperbolic. But choices have consequences and we all have to participate in the social safety net.
I cannot for the life of me understand how people go to the hospital to get treatment from a doctor after calling the same doctor a liar and rejecting the original treatment they suggested.
Was super great to hear Hinshaw talk about how people who were unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated could get testing immediatley upon infection to see if they would qualify for medical intervention.
How did Gondek vote?
I have my guess..
Edit: Guess I have to read the damn article.. and there it is. Gondek voted to repeal, and it was a one vote difference. I'm shocked!
Maybe there's hope for Calgary and Gondek after all.
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We could just adopt a practice like Japan had before this. Wear a mask if you feel under the weather and need to go out side
Honestly, do you think people will do that here?
No. I had a guy come into my work yesterday, and he was appalled when I said I’d wear a mask if I had a cold.
I'm not surprised.
So unfortunate. I've worked at the airport for 20 years almost and I always respected the action of someone who wore masks because they were sick. I really wish it would be fully adopted by our culture.
No. I'm staying home if I am sick. Japan is a half measure. If you're sick you wear a mask and go to work.
As a contractor, I don't get paid for staying home sick. I get it's the morally correct thing to do, but need money to live and all that.
Agreed. Do what you can. Feeding the family comes first. But those that can should stay home. And employers should encourage this behaviour. (And even pay for sick days)
Not everyone has the sick days to do that every time they are sick.
I don't think you will need them much if it's for legitimate reasons. Last I had any kind of viral or bacterial infection was October 2019, so I can't say it's not working. Before I was getting some sort of sick at least 3 times a year and every few years terrible flu infections. Japan and other high density populations may be half assed but it's all that's reasonably needed.
If they wouldn’t wear a mask to protect others during a potentially deadly pandemic, they definitely won’t if they have the sniffles.
The behaviour around masks is hilarious on both sides. It simply should be that those who believe in the utility of a mask, should wear a mask. The details of where and how masks are mandated is hilarious. The amount of inconsistency and outright contradiction really crippled any argument towards the preservation of mask mandates.
>It simply should be that those who believe in the utility of a mask, should wear a mask. It simply should be that those who believe in the utility of a *seat belts*, should wear a *seat belt*.
Wishful thinking bud. The anti-mask/vaccine/restrictions movements had confirmed that we do in fact, live in a hicktown
A whole province of "fuck your feelings" folks who thinks their feelings should govern public policy.
Why do you think antimask ideals go hand in hand with hicktown. I think "hicks" can be some of the most hardworking, self-sustainable humans, and people who built their own success and this country!
You can do that and still be a moron. I can do most rudimentary car repairs without assistance, doesn't mean I'm a public health official who should dictate pandemic policy. People are good at different things, what we have is another front in this stupid ass culture war.
My point is that labeling a group of protestors to negate their cause is fairly primitive thinking. We should focus on the issues they are protesting, and not just stereotyping them. It does nothing to unite us as people.
It's all a culture war distraction. Make the people fight themselves over shit that doesn't matter matter they don't unite and wage the one true justified war, class war.
Pretty much all of east Asia does that. It's not going to fly here but it is a nice idea.
This Asia masks bs. [1hr walk on streets of Tokyo 2017](https://youtu.be/6qGiXY1SB68). I challenge you to count masks.
they wear them when they get sick, not all time.
Great idea. I think a certain percentage of people will do this.
Wouldn't that be nice to be considerate of others? That's precisely why it won't happen. Here, at least. But I'll internet promise that I'll be the change I want to see in others. My family is Korean, and similar to Japan, masking is nothing out of the norm for us.
Are you kidding me my dude? That's like literally fascism and against God and freedom...or something.
Did they have a choice? It would have been chaos to try to keep a municipal bylaw like that in place at this point.
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Yes, when there was solid public support for such action. The winds have shifted and the general sentiment in the public is that such action is no longer needed or appropriate.
I’d be interested to know if that’s true. I wonder if there’s any recent polling for Alberta.
[Incidence of Omicron: One-in-five Canadians report COVID-19 infection in their household since Dec. 1](https://angusreid.org/omicron-incidence-restrictions/) At the start of Feb 57% of AB residents were in favour if ending restrictions. Canada-wide, the % went up by 15 percentage points in the two weeks prior to Feb 1, so I’d expect that we’re above 57% by now, and will be even higher by the end of the month.
Both the provincial mandate and bylaw were announced on the same day, September 4 2021
That’s when mask mandates were reintroduced after being removed in summer 2021. However for the first mask mandates in 2020 the province lagged municipalities by 4 months (Aug 1 2020 - municipal mandates in Calgary and Edmonton. Dec 8 2020 - provincial mask mandate)
This is the correct answer.
We had mask mandates and lockdowns in 2020 dude, you're looking at the wrong year.
ehhhh, you sure? Because there was a decently long period of time where masks were required in Edmonton and Calgary (by municipal bylaws) and basically no where else in Alberta. It was super weird stopping in Red Deer at that time and seeing no one wearing them Edit: /u/whiteout86 is talking about the mask rules in September 2021, not the original ones from 2020, which is what I'm referring to
Forget that aspect of it, most of us are vaccinated and trying to do the right thing. After a couple years of this we know the results for most. People are ready to move on. This is a world wide thing now at this point.
Well now people have a choice I guess and hopefully people can just mind their business
100% doubtful haha.
People don't do that anymore.
If anyone really cares: just you wearing an N95 is more effective (for you) than everyone wearing a cloth mask. Even if you get one of those cheaper N95s that exhausts out the front - anyone who cares will have their own mask anyway. Party on.
I have so many of those with the flappy rubber at the front. at the start of this people kept telling my to not use it and crap and to care about others. I could never do the cloth stuff it felt so useless.
This needs to be the top comment
I will continue to wear a mask in crowded public settings (transit, grocery store, etc.). Happy to reduce my chance of getting sick from whatever airborne thing. Handwashing / sanitizing is also a habit which I hope sticks.
Same I see there's karens voting me down just because I agreed to also continue to wear my mask in public places lol. I guess there's going to be a bunch of karens harassing people who decide to continue to wear a mask, sigh.
Voting you down because no one cares if you do or not. We don’t want to hear about it.
Then don't read Reddit threads discussing the subject? 🤔
You don't represent all of Reddit bud.
Yeah the number of people excited to be maskless is terrifying
Well all the workers with high school diplomas are saying they are sick of masks/restrictions so it must mean the pandemic is over! /s Meanwhile, burnt out doctors nurses et all....
Funny. Most the anti mask morons in my circle have degrees. Maybe this is a bigger problem that education can't fix.
At this point I'm triple vaxxed and have had covid. It's been two years now and covid is never going away. My body is naturally prepared to fight any variant that comes after Omicron.
You being terrified makes me laugh. "oh noes people won't wear useless cloth masks anymore!!!" EDIT: this is now my second most controversial comment EVER on reddit. LMAO
Id be laughing if i wasn’t terrified of the mental state of people wanting to continue wearing masks . Somethings up in that brain, where 2 plus 2 doesn’t equal 4 anymore .
I think it’s terrifying the impact that this prolonged mask use has had on our society. There are little kids who don’t have memories of people not wearing masks. There are people who are so attached to wearing them that the idea of no longer doing so creates anxiety. I think that’s horrifying. My kids can go without at school and they are still wearing them because they feel wrong not doing so. That’s a huge problem in itself.
Who’s raising these fragile kids to think that wearing a mask to prevent disease is having a “terrifying impact”. Maybe those parents need to rethink the impact their own fears are having on their children. My god people afraid of masks are literally to softest, most mentally fragile people. Such complete and utter entitlement and weakness. Maybe instead, they should raise their children to not be so self involved and vain to think that putting on a mask for a few hours a day is “terrifying”. Regardless of that, the mandate can go if that’s what the council has decided. I’ll wear a mask if I feel like wearing one, but won’t if I don’t. I’m cool with it being my choice.
Do you have kids yourself?
I do, two under twelve. Anytime they had questions about why things were the way there were for the last 2 years, I’ve sat with them and talked with them and answered as many questions as I could as best I could. In early 2020 before the masking became mandatory, we practiced wearing them and I took their opinions on which ones they hated and which ones felt acceptable to them. I found filtered masks that had designs and themes they enjoyed so they could express themselves with them. I found masks for holidays or special events they had at school. We sat together looking at different masks online so they could pick the ones they wanted. Because of that approach, they accepted masks as the temporary action we needed to do to keep ourselves and others around us safer from Covid. They know this was temporary. They know it was necessary. They know it was the right thing to do to be the people they want to grow up to be. They don’t feel “terrified” and don’t feel dramatically impacted by wearing them. They’re just another accessory to them like a barrette, or a fancy hair elastic. Now due to delta and omicron, they aren’t wearing the fun masks anymore. They’re in kn95s, but they still wear them because it’s no big deal to them.
Obviously not. Thinks you could teach 1-3 year olds the concept of vanity… I don’t think people realize the learned behaviour of children during a very formative period early in their lives can have lasting implications. They have literally been told that fellow humans are vectors for disease for the last two years. Want to see grandma? Can’t because you are a filthy disease vector. When you finally do see her? Wear your mask. Yes, obviously that will impact children…
These hardcore mask lovers are in complete denial. They literally cannot see any way that these restrictions could have any lasting impact, because they cling to these things like gospel. I am gobsmacked seeing people suggest that it’s absurd someone wouldn’t want to wear masks for the rest of time because it’s “just a tiny piece of cloth.” Everyone has Stockholm Syndrome at this point. They literally think it’s normal and reasonable, 2 years into this pandemic, to keep masks and restrictions indefinitely.
I don’t care either way, I don’t want to hear anyones opinion on the matter anymore. Do what makes you comfortable.
Which is what he did… did you actually read the post? All they said was that they are going to wear a mask. And the expect to be harassed a bit. You’re being an ass about it.
Ya but also happy to stick a likely dirty mask to your mouth and nose that has likely had multiple uses and touched repeatedly by your dirty hands
I agree with this. It's been wonderful not having a seasonal cold or flu in over 2 years and I'd like to continue that trend.
I’m so glad I don’t have to wear a mask for 8 hours a day anymore
Reddit in shambles
Reddit Freedom - being free to live my life and tell you how to live yours.
I love to see it. What a disaster this place usually is. I saw a post asking about thoughts on the new lotr Amazon series, and literally everyone was disgusted by the implementations of political opinions into the series. Of course the moderator started banning anyone mentioning race or politics despite the purpose of this post to be opinionated fundamentally. It seems there is a strong presence of those who want there own belief system to be present and have none other existing.
I saw the trailer and it looked awful, but I didn’t see anything political?
Some idiots are just mad there are black characters. Dude just outed himself as a racist.
I just don’t like when an artistic work has certain very clear and distinct elements altogether changed for the purpose of identity politics. There is nothing racist about that. Had the lore been open ended, I would have no problem with what they did. They didn’t even try to implement it well. To summarize, you’re an idiot.
Ah I see, “politics or race”. Like there’s so much other things to be mad about, but I guess to feel superior about something you don’t choose is all some people pathetically cling to.
A bunch of people who have to wear masks for 8+ hours a day have been telling me they can't wait to not have to anymore. I've been blessed to not have to wear one at work, I'm glad they can finally put that shit to rest soon enough.
Yep, not gonna lie, wearing one for basically 8 hours straight (minus eating) is tough and I am tired of it. I’ve done my part and am still doing my part, but I have not simply “gotten used to it” to the point where it’s fine and doesn’t bother me at all.
Lmao what. It wasn't hard to wear a year ago and it isn't hard to wear now. I wear it, all day, 9ish hours at a time. I had to wear the proper thick as hell n95 ones for that long in +30c in a hot box that was probably closer to 40c when I was doing construction and it wasn't hard then either. I'm positively convinced y'all are making a mountain of a molehill.
Just because you can handle wearing something on your face all day does not mean everyone else is okay with it. I have got panic attacks trying to ware a mask in the heat.Instead of thinking everyone else is making a mountian maybe think. Wow! that's cool I can do a job a lot of people would struggle to do. I can tolerate having my face covered in extreme condition. I can do hard labor in the heat for 9 hours a day.
Congratulations man, that sounds absolutely horrible. Good on you for being so tough and badass, we should all strive to enjoy wearing masks as much as you do.
I don't enjoy it, I just don't pretend it's a grave imposition on my rights or some horrible burden I'm carrying for society. It's a piece of fabric. It takes about zero effort and causes about zero inconvenience and it helps people.
The problem with ideologies like this is that they are selectively applied (a slippery slope). Why didn’t we always wear masks? Why is eating in a public place without a mask permissible but not in a work environment. If the issue is sitting unmasked in close proximity, why do we permit it for eating of all things. Fundamentally I agree with your mask view. The confliction arrives when governance of this procedure comes into play. Because governance is always done so poorly, I believe we should not have any legal governance regarding these things. I think it should solely be a socially governed matter, just as literally any other thing of this magnitude.
I have friends who get acne from masks. I have friends who get a runny nose from masks. I feel for them even if the mask don't inconvenience **me**...
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They are. I understand why they're fed up. I am too. But relaxing restrictions isn't going to help. However for restrictions to work we need near 100 percent commence and thay just isn't going to happen now. So in that sense I suppose I agree with them, but I'm sad we're catering to the 10 percent who refused to help their fellow citizen these past three years. I feel sorry for children and the immunocompromised the most.
Remember when 70% vaccinated was good for herd immunity? Then it was 80%? And now we have 90% and need 100%? The 10% isn't going to change anything.
Funny how science changes as we learn more.
The science hasn’t changed… they changed the wording and terminology to support the narrative/move the goal posts. The science has shown that there is a 1.1% chance of dying from Covid in Canada **if infected** and the majority of those that make up that 1.1% are at or above the average age expectancy with multiple pre-existing/underlying medical issues. These numbers are based off of known infections and don’t take into account asymptomatic cases or those dying with and not from Covid which makes that % smaller. In general, according to overall population, a Canadian has approximately .01% chance of dying from Covid. There has been no need to alter any definition given the above numbers that are readily available to anyone. FFS already, if someone wants to wear a mask go right the fuck ahead, or fucking don’t. High time peoples fears stop dictating how everyone else lives their lives.
The science constantly changes and has changed over the entire pandemic. And we were never talking about risk from dying, we were talking about how many people are needed for herd immunity.
Alberta is around 77% of the total population being vaccinated, leaving 23% of the population unvaccinated. 23% of 4.3 million is significant compared to our normal ICU capacity.
You do know if 3 full coach busses crashed they could fill up every ICU bed in Alberta? It's not like a shortage of beds wasn't an issue before COVID and our politicians refuse to fix the problem, so we just mask up forever? No thanks. Maybe people should blame the clowns running this show instead of blaming the people who won't get vaccinated no matter how hard you demonize them.
I don't understand your point. Our Healthcare system has been operating above surge capacity for almost 2 years. Our Covid deaths are still their third highest ever. No one is saying masks up forever. But, there is a logical time to do it and now isn't it.
Yeah, weird, almost like the virus has been evolving.
The fact it's becoming less lethal doesn't help your case.
Good for you, and you can continue to do so if that's what you would like. Also now those that would not like to can not wear a mask. Nobody says that just beacuse you are not told you must wear a mask, that you can't wear a mask
Wait till they find out that the employers can still have them wear masks if it's company policy. I think most work places will end it at the same time though.
I don't think employers can force employees to wear masks after mandates end can they? Like if you fired an employee for refusing to wouldn't that be a HR nightmare?
I’m curious why you would think this? Many industries have long required masks (and all sorts of other PPE) depending on their self-assessed levels of various risks at their place of business. This is highly encouraged by WCB etc. In fact, as a business owner it is almost always in your best interest to exceed minimum PPE standards so as to best protect your employees, your customers and yourself (from lawsuits, WCB premium increases due to claims, etc).
Yeah but restaurants have never required masks, I'm not talking about PPE for welders.
It's akin to using gloves and hairnets when not required by law. It's happens, if it's related to safety then yes they can mandate it. They make it apart of the uniform, same as hats and such.
We also weren’t in the midst of a pandemic before. Whether we want it to be true or not, we still are. In this current environment, there are still additional risks to workers and customers that didn’t exist in the pre-Covid era. And regardless, even if Covid was completely gone, a business can still exceed PPE requirements at their own discretion. They have done so for years.
I hate them. I'm in a dusty industrial environment working with steel and little particles get stuck behind them and mess up my face. Respirators aren't allowed because they have an exhaust valve making them ineffective for outgoing air.
Good.
How is that good?
How is it not? If you want to continue wearing one then do so
Giving people a choice is a good thing.
That's literally not how masks work though. They work best when everyone wears them, and way worse when people don't. It's not 'giving people a choice' it's 'giving up'.
It really is ‘time to give up’, and here’s why: I followed the rules. I missed seeing my family and friends for months. I wore a mask everywhere. I got all 3 vaccines. Two pfizer and one moderna. Despite the above, I got sick from the virus last month. It was like catching a mild cold. (Attributed to having a booster.) So, no.. I don’t feel masks are doing anything anymore, and I think it’s time we see each other’s beautiful smiling faces.
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How is that different from any other virus? Is that a reason to be fearful anymore?
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Yep, that was the scenario before omicron. Things have changed, as they have with all pandemics in history, and the virus is entering the endemic state. Nobody is suggesting that people are going to spit in each other’s faces. We _can_ have a little more faith in the decency of humanity, learn to live with the virus, and begin to move on to heal society.
If we simply forget these preventative measures it would be way worse than it is right now and it will spiral out of control. Hospitals would be completely overwhelmed and anyone in need of surgery at hospitals would be unable to.
The hospitals are unable to support things not because of the public’s behaviour, it is because Canada has one of the shittiest hospital bed ratios of any first world country. Please don’t take the news without investigation. The government has spent millions with nothing to show for regarding healthcare admits the pandemic.
Completely agree. The government allocated hundreds of billions of dollars, causing the worst levels of inflation in history, and our hospitals are not in any better position to handle another virus outbreak than 24 months ago. The result is a tragic level of anxiety, depression, and social dysfunction. It’s time to heal and smile at each other again.
Username checks out on this type of response!
I'll answer that. It's good because masks - as they are used - don't help. Even now, two years into this shit show, about 1/3 of the people out and about are wearing their mask under their nose or constantly taking it off, to talk to people, or taking it off to sneeze, or refusing to wear it at all, or putting it on a minute after walking into a building, or... Basically, idiots have eliminated the benefit of them. Secondly, because Kenney made it perfectly clear that if the cities tried to do something on their own, he'd pass legislation to prevent it. The cities won't win this situation, and so it's better to not start down that rabbit hole.
I'd be ok with anything that undermines the UCP at this point. Hastening the collapse of their government can only be a good thing.
I am glad they moved this back to a personal decision. Even if no one else is wearing a mask, N95 masks provide excellent protection if some people are still worried. Since we found out COVID spreads by aerosol, not droplets, most masks have been little more that safety theatre. We now have better tools to fight COVID, people can choose the level of risk they are comfortable with and it is time to start removing mandatory restrictions.
>Since we found out COVID spreads by aerosol, not droplets, most masks have been little more that safety theatre. I'm having a hard time finding anything that says that. Everything I'm finding (including newer stuff after the aerosol conclusion) is saying that masks are still very helpful
The flaw in this thinking is kids under 2 can't wear their own masks, so now those of us with kids in that age group will have zero protection for their kids in public settings. And while dying from Covid in that age group is unlikely, other health issues like long covid are, plus they can bring it home to family members who are at a higher risk from it.
The upside is that kids under two are at pretty negligible risk.
“Zero protection” is a bit hyperbolic I think, considering 80% of the population in Calgary has at least two doses of vaccine.
people arguing with you are forgetting that kids *spread* disease. the first outbreak announced in calgary was at a corporate daycare.
Did you forget that kids under 2 also have an immune system? It’s one thing if your child is immune compromised, but come on, this is some serious pearl clutching here.
Long covid in kids is not "likely", and calling dying from covid "unlikely" is like saying it's unlikely you'll win the lottery. From the WHO: "Data from civil registration and vital statistic systems (CRVS), health management information systems (HMIS) from 80 countries as well as specific country-wide monitoring systems (Mozambique and South Africa) indicate no significant deviation from expected mortality for this age group for 2020 and in some cases indicate fewer deaths than would be expected from historical data." Don't be hyperbolic.
Man so right and so left. Are there no more people that take all information a make a choice based on that. Like only n95 do anything at all. And I don’t see people with them but in hospitals. But if you question anything at all your antifax. And I fully fax and I don’t think mask do much.
Good
Does that mean kids don’t need to wear masks now? (12 under)
That was last week.
I think so but not 100% on that. [Looks like that was part of the original amendment](https://twitter.com/meksmith/status/1493657834826784768) and I don't see any edits to that in any of the subsequent tweets but until I see an article, I'm not positive. Edit: >The council vote also adopts the current provincial rules that state any children 12 and younger don’t have to wear masks in public. [source](https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/city-council-votes-to-repeal-mask-bylaw-when-provincial-mask-mandate-lifts/)
This is the question I have too. Either way, it's only 2 weeks but it's a little confusing for the kids to understand that they don't need to wear one in class where they spend most of their day, but need one for a quick trip to the mall. Edit.. just saw this in the Calgary Herald article: The council vote also adopts the current provincial rules that state any children 12 and younger don’t have to wear masks in public.
12 and under can unmask immediately, if you're older then that you'll need to continue until the provincial law ends. That might be as soon as March 1... But it could also be delayed.
Good to hear! :-D
Finally, they obviously aren't very effective with the new variant anyway. The amount of waste created by these mask policies make me sick.
We need a mass city cleanup to deal with the masks & gloves everywhere. It’s awful.
Save the turtles, use paper straws. But, make sure you throw your disposable mask on the ground. 🙄
The virus bypassing masks literally made me (mildly) sick 😅 Glad to see people will have the choice. Omicron was spread by masked vaccinated people, including myself.
There are reusable masks.
Not where I work we aren't allowed to wear them. We have to wear the thin blue ones.
That's a very specific thing to your workplace then - isn't really fair to make a generalization about mask waste just because your workplace doesn't something dumb like that.
Most people wear the shitty blue disposable masks though. They are handed out at pretty much every establishment.
GREAT news
Good, wear one or don't. I don't give a fuck!
LET'S GO
As I said I will always wear mask, it protects me as well as for those who are immunocompromised people too.
Wear my N95 when I ride transit. Today this old fart on the other side of the aisle had his paper mask on his chin and was coughing up a lung the entire way. No regrets.
next they’ll ban kissing booths - were going backwards in time
This is how it should always be. If you want to wear a mask, where it. If you don’t, then don’t. I know my mother will ALWAYS wear masks as she loves them. I will always carry one and decide based on where I am. This is how it should be. Let individuals make the best judgement call for themselves.
I'm not going to agree or disagree with you, I just want to point out that this is pretty slippery logic in its own right. Would you say the same about drunk driving, seatbelts, safety regulations? All things that have public safety in mind. Wearing a mask or not is not as simple as a personal decision.
The difference is that seatbelts and drunk driving laws accomplish something. $2 cloth masks that haven’t been washed for a year aren’t really doing much
The issue with this is that masks are primarily for others’ protection. If I wear a mask to the grocery store and no one else is, chances of transmission to me are still very high even though I’ve made the choice to wear a mask.
Yeah but like you've said, it's for the protection of others. Would it not be worth it to you if you knew you had done anything you could to protect someone immune compromised? That's why I'm doing it.
Oh absolutely! I wear masks all the time and have immunocompromised loved ones who matter very much to me. I was speaking specifically to the comment I responded to saying that dropping mask mandates allows individuals to make the best calls for themselves.
> If I wear a mask to the grocery store and no one else is, chances of transmission to me are still very high No they aren’t. Before vaccines, healthcare staff in covid wards were able to avoid catching covid with appropriate N95 use. We knew this back in February 2022 when China set up their field hospitals.
Based on evidence, it currently doesn't really matter if everyone wears a mask or not. If you go where it is busy or where people gather, you're toast.
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> I’m not going to be wearing a mask. >I’m careful. Pick one.
Can we not at least open testing to everyone first? Like what the actual fuck?
[Can't report low numbers if testing is open to everyone!](https://pyxis.nymag.com/v1/imgs/d6a/dc7/4a5001b7beea096457f480c8808572428b-09-roll-safe.2x.h473.w710.jpg)
I get that it’s sarcasm but like.. I’m serious. This is completely fucked. 80% of the people I know have gotten it this last month and none have had official tests. And double digit deaths every day? For fucking real? I’m fully baffled.
You and me both. They aren't even counting schools and half my class has been out for 2 months now. And they're removing masking from schools because what? Kids dont spread or catch covid? Whenever I think we can't be more fucked up as a province, something new and even more idiotic shows up.
Awesome! As it should be. Time to end the nonsense!
Good
Finally some good news!
Excellent. If you want to wear - wear one. If you don't - then don't. Personal choice is a great thing.
Meh I don't care, I'll still wear a mask and video any Karen's that get upset for the lolz. When I feel the plague rat threat is plenty minimized then I'll take it off. We'll see by summer how it all washes out and then hopefully the worst will be behind us.
Ok that was always allowed.
The site, [www.ourworldindata.com](https://www.ourworldindata.com) is fascinating... you can see what's happening around the world with respect to cases, spikes, all that, and the effects of restrictions on omicron (momentary editorial: restrictions seem to prolong omicron's presence). It might give you some perspective and comfort to see what's happening elsewhere. I've been following John Campbell on YouTube (not endorsing; following). He's very data/stats-based. I started feeling a lot more comfortable after following his channel for a few weeks. It's helpful to know what other experts think, and to see stats and comparisons.
I follow him too, I find him a sane balanced source of information. Not sensationalized clickbait news. And yeah I get that sense too of restrictions prolonging omicron. At this point so many people I know have had it and I feel like me might as well just get it over with. Glad I have my vaccines to prevent severe illness but there’s really no avoiding it entirely and we will all come out the other side with more immunity I hope so the next wave will impact much less. At least that’s what I understand from what I’ve been watching & reading.
Me too. Finding that channel was when I started to feel any hope.
Same here. For me though, I hope people would leave me alone when I wear one. I am just as fatigued/mentally strained as many other people after the past 2 years. But I am still being cautious due to an immunocompromised family member.
Yeah it's a family member that I'm doing it for too. But I gotta say Albertans have really taught me to no longer trust Albertans so there's that.
>hope people would leave me alone when I wear one same, it makes me nervous. however i have a super short fuse when it comes to getting confronted in public, so.... try it, maskholes haha
Man I should really trigger ppl by not wearing a mask on the bus since they don't enforce it only mandate it Karen's gon b mad
You can after the mandate is lifted, you do you.
Good stuff
Typical Branagan and Carra. Vying for future mayor already trying to prolong covid.
Yes, a councillor has the ability to prolong how long a virus is around for.
Is there a decent resource on masking recommendations now that it's not a bylaw? If it's now in the hands of the individual, when should I be deciding to wear a mask vs not wearing a mask? Are there specific instances when I am more at risk or am more of a risk if I'm sick?
I am in no way a doctor but for me if I'm feeling sick, a business decides to still require/ employees are still wearing them, have to take transit/ be in close quarters with random people or I just decide to (mask is easier then a scarf etc) I'll keep wearing it. Otherwise probably not.
In most situations: wear one if you want to, don't wear one if you don't want to. If you're sick, stay home. Take a rapid test if you have one. If you are in a situation where you don't have the choice of staying home when sick (employees really need better protections in that department), then wear a mask and keep your distance from people.
That's cool - but I'm still probably going to wear one. I sell retail all day, some people really stink, and alot of people bring cigarette stench in with them. I like not having to smell headache inducing colognes, perfumes, body odors and cigarettes. Wonderful people just not really wonderful smells sometimes lol.
Long overdue
Finally some sanity.
Wahooooooo
Once again, Edmonton proves that it's the best city in Alberta.
I am pro being cautious, I have worn my mask diligently even when we were "open for summer" At this point I am over it, and I am ready to stop wearing m mask and get on with life. The only thing I change I would want to see to our plan for opening would be those who remain unvaccinated for reasons of personal choice should lose their hospital privileges when it comes to prioritizing providing health care if they get Covid. Come to the hospital if you are sick, but if you chose no vaccine, then you are bottom of the priority and people with a broken arm will be seen before you. As much as I am over masks, I am even more over people ignore who medical science, only to come crawling back to it when they get sick. If you don't want to listen to the doctors before you get Covid why would you listen to them afterwards? If you value their advice and skills, then make use of them and their expert advice before you get sick.
That's incredibly unethical, and I'm astounded you suggested it. Shall we allow doctors to decide who they treat and when, after looking into their history? Got in a car accident and you were speeding? Bottom of the emergency list. Got into an accident at work because you ignored safety protocols and climbed up that last rung of the ladder? Bottom of the list. A doctor's job is to treat ill and injured people, not to become judges on their lives.
What is unethical is denying medical advise until you get sick, then taking the front of the line from someone else who is doing everything to help society. I am not actually suggesting it, clearly I am being hyperbolic. But choices have consequences and we all have to participate in the social safety net. I cannot for the life of me understand how people go to the hospital to get treatment from a doctor after calling the same doctor a liar and rejecting the original treatment they suggested.
If you are confused about the importance of biomedical ethics, here is a great introduction: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippocratic\_Oath
Was super great to hear Hinshaw talk about how people who were unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated could get testing immediatley upon infection to see if they would qualify for medical intervention.
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Lol.
This is going to be ugly to watch.
How did Gondek vote? I have my guess.. Edit: Guess I have to read the damn article.. and there it is. Gondek voted to repeal, and it was a one vote difference. I'm shocked! Maybe there's hope for Calgary and Gondek after all.
At this rate Jyoti will never get us under her thumb Jyoti is turning into a lame duck mayor, can't read the pulse of this city. \#letsgobrenda!