Today marks the first day of Stage 3 in most of Ontario, including Algoma Region, as well as the first day of mandatory mask wearing here in the Sault.
Mayor Christian Provezano reminds Saultites to follow Algoma Public Health guidelines to prevent a potential surge in cases. These include wearing a mask when entering and staying in an establishment.
The following is a statement from Mayor Provenzano:
Algoma Public Health’s (APH) masking instructions take effect today. Businesses and organizations throughout our community have to implement a policy that requires employees and members of the public to wear a mask when they enter and remain in an enclosed space. So as of today, all of the employers and organizations in our community will be asking each of us, with some exceptions, to wear a mask when we enter their premises. I encourage everyone to learn about APH’s masking instructions by clicking here.
I have confidence in APH’s judgment and I support APH’s masking instructions. I believe the masking instructions are timely and I believe they give us a better chance of minimizing the impact of the virus in our community. As we move into Stage 3 of the Province’s reopening plan, most businesses and organizations in our community will be open. As a result, more people will be out and about and interacting with one another. There is emerging evidence that masking is helpful to limit and slow the spread of COVID-19 and while the internet and social media can always be counted on to provide contradictory opinions, I encourage everyone to pay the closest attention to our own public health professionals. Those public health professionals are clearly asking us to wear masks.
If we are not careful and if we do not take every reasonable precaution possible as we move into the next stage of the Province’s reopening plan, we could see a surge in cases. A surge in cases can lead to a step back. None of us wants to take a step back. We have worked too hard and made too many sacrifices to see that happen. Working together and following APH’s advice has got us to where we are today, let’s not stop now:
- If you have any symptoms, stay home and self-isolate; and,
- If you are out, physical distance; and,
- Wear a non-medical mask inside public places; and,
- Keep track of your social interaction; and,
- Wash your hands.
If each of us commit to do these things and ask our friends and family to do these things, we keep each other safe and we give our community its best chance of succeeding. We have done this to date, so let’s continue and let’s not lose sight of the fact that this is a challenging time for all of us. Many people are struggling so let’s do our collective best to be patient, kind and supportive of each other.
