It’s rare that you see anyone without a mask in a mall or other indoor public spaces even when there’s lots of space for social distancing.
But flaunting the mask public health order is becoming increasingly common on cramped buses and ferries in Halifax, according to the union that represents the people who operate them.
Ken Wilson said drivers have told him they’ve observed people leaving the Walmart on Mumford Road wearing masks “and by the time they get to the bus, the mask is in their pocket and you ask them to put it on and they say, ‘Well you can’t make me.’”
Wilson, who is president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 508, said anxiety levels are rising among transit operators who deal daily with people who ignore the mandatory mask requirement under Nova Scotia’s COVID-19-related state of emergency.
“You know, we’re carrying standing loads full-seated buses, no social distancing in a 40-or 60- foot tube and the paratransit division is the most concerning. They’re strapping in three, four wheelchairs a trip and they’re less than an inch from someone’s face with no mandatory mask.”
10 per cent refusal
He figures about 10 per cent of passengers won’t wear a mask, either saying they have a medical reason not to do so or simply telling operators they don’t have the power to make them wear one.
“You come home at the end of the day and you sit in your driveway and you wonder, is this the day I bring it (the virus) home to my family or is it tomorrow or the next day, right?”
No bus drivers have been infected in the second wave of COVID-19 that began Oct. 1. Wilson said four union operators and one manager contracted the virus in the spring wave.
Halifax Transit has told the union operators they can't refuse to allow non-masked passengers onto buses or ferries.
Manager interventions requested
In situations such as altercations or passengers being abusive to operators, Halifax Transit managers are sent to the scene to intervene. The union wants this step taken when a passenger refuses to wear a mask but Halifax Transit refuses.
In an email to The Chronicle Herald, a transit spokeswoman said while it continues to monitor the COVID-19 situation, the non-intervention policy will stay in place despite the operators' mounting concerns.
“As per the public health order, the obligation to wear a mask rests with the individual and thankfully, we have seen the vast majority of riders follow the order by wearing a mask,” said Maggie-Jane Spray.
“Halifax Transit will continue to adhere to public health guidelines regarding education and enforcement of the use of masks. Operators may remind passengers of the requirement to wear a mask, but Halifax Transit’s policy is that passengers who are not wearing a mask will not be denied entry, as some passengers may have medical reasons that prevent them from wearing one.”
Policy not enforced
Nova Scotia public health issued the mask order in the summer.
“Effective July 24, it will be mandatory for drivers and passengers to wear a non-medical mask on public transportation. Children under two and people with a valid medical reason for not wearing a mask are exempt,” the order reads.
Wilson said the union has also taken their concerns to Dr. Robert Strang, chief medical officer of health, and Halifax Mayor Mike Savage.
In response, Strang reiterated that people should obey the mask order at a Dec. 1 news briefing. He noted that he spoke to HRM CAO Jacques Dube about the problem.
“People are just flat-out refusing to wear a mask on a bus simply because they don’t want to. We need to remember that bus drivers are essential workers and for some taking a bus is essential. We need bus drivers to come to work each day so that we can get where we need to go. So we have a responsibility to do our part to make their workplace safe.”
Wilson said Savage also addressed the problem with media.
While he appreciated Strang’s comments at the briefing, Wilson said the chief medical officer’s refusal to enforce the order gave mask scofflaws ammunition in the first place.
“It’s actually hurt us. Dr. Strang, who’s done a remarkable job considering what he’s been thrown into, when he came out and said he wouldn’t enforce it, the public heard that message as ‘We don’t need to comply’ and it’s actually gotten worse.”
The union continues to battle for enforcement of the mask order, most recently with a change.org petition that has garnered over 1,400 names.
“And the plan is to share that survey with Dr. Strang’s office . . . and the premier and the mayor and we’ll take that survey down in the next week or so," Wilson said.
