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I am getting a lot of questions about why I am not using my powers as Medical Officer of Health to make mask use mandatory in public, particularly in light of Windsor-Essex Medical Officer of Health doing so. There are three parts to the answer.
For the record, I support the decision of the Windsor-Essex MOH. Very different pandemic wave because of ties to Detroit. Check out the charts below. Note they have very different scales. Windsor's case count yesterday (& day before) was 32 - higher than London's peak count (24).
Reasons:
1. Middlesex & #ldnont don't have the same rates of illness as Windsor. Rates here are low & declining. Rates there are high & increasing.
We had 3 (three) new cases today. Windsor posted 32 (thirty-two) new cases - more than 10 times as many, on a smaller population.
1. Middlesex & #ldnont don't have the same rates of illness as Windsor. Rates here are low & declining. Rates there are high & increasing.
We had 3 (three) new cases today. Windsor posted 32 (thirty-two) new cases - more than 10 times as many, on a smaller population.
2. While there is some data showing that wearing masks can help ( @MLHealthUnit strongly recommends using masks), the research is not nearly clear enough to issue a mandatory order. Public health orders have to be clearly justified by data; existing data has lots of holes in it.
2. (more) Studies shows that non-medical masks aren't particularly protective. Are they better than nothing? Probably. Do I wear them in public facilities? Yes. But current research doesn't show a big difference . They may be most useful as a signal to give the wearer space.
3. Exiting ethical & legal frameworks are clear: a public health order has to balance information about risk & effectiveness with rights of the individual. Yes, the health of the public comes first. But if evidence isn't strong and the risk isn't high, an order isn't appropriate.
If the rates of #COVID19 infection here in #ldnont & Middlesex were the same as that in Windsor-Essex, or if research were stronger, or if human rights were not a consideration, there would be a stronger case for mandatory masking here.
Rates here are less than 1/10th that of Windsor-Essex, the research is weak, and human rights are important. IMO, it's not time to issue an order making masks mandatory here.
We will keep watching this issue, and if these factors change, we will certainly consider an order.
We will keep watching this issue, and if these factors change, we will certainly consider an order.
