London councillors say no to reintroducing a mask mandate

One day after the Ontario government dropped the province-wide mask mandate, London city council debated whether to reverse the measure locally, a motion that ultimately failed.

In an emergency meeting held Tuesday, councillors Maureen Cassidy, Jesse Helmer and Stephen Turner pushed to bring back the original masking bylaw from 2020 until May 9, with the possibility of extending it.  

"I know people are really tired of the virus," said Coun. Helmer. "They want to move on. They want to just go back to normal but we can't put our heads in the sand and just pretend that everything will be fine if we stop masking."

The motion would fail 10-3, with the supporting councillors unable to sway their colleagues. Still, a long question period involving Middlesex-London's medical officer of health and an in-camera session with the city's chief counsel were held, and the debate was active. 

As Coun. Helmer continued to defend the use of masks, Coun. Michael van Holst interrupted him, calling for a point of personal privilege. 

"I think characterizing colleagues as putting their heads in the sand is not appropriate," said Coun. van Holst. 

"We need to look at many factors of this issue, and not this single one that may be coming forward today so I think that's not the way to describe the situation or the people that have written in with their concerns or certainly the colleagues, like myself, who may not support the motion," he continued.

In new projections, the Ontario Science Advisory Table points to masking as one way to keep hospital and ICU occupancy down. They're expecting them to rise.

They say that vaccines and reducing contacts could also keep these rates down.  

But Coun. van Holst, who attended an anti-vaccine rally in Victoria Park in October, believes that the motion is government overreach – a sentiment shared by Coun. Mariam Hamou.  

"Enforcing masks as politicians without at least our own medical officer of health mandating, is in my opinion, an overreach of government in this case," said Coun. Hamou. 

"This is going to be so confusing for people," Coun. Hamou added. "Another mandate will just make it harder to enforce a mandate when it is actually required."  

Councillors did ask Medical Officer of Health Dr. Alex Summers specific questions about his authority to enact a Section 22 Order, which would give him the power to override provincial regulations in the face of a imminent communicable disease risk, to help curb its transmission.  

"It is intended, however, to be used in a focused, time limited, and sparring response to that immediate risk," said Summers, who was at the meeting. "The intent truly is to provide [medical officers of healths] with a tool to respond urgently to acute situations for which immediate action is required."