(File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Jeff D'Andrea

Mandatory masks

Prince Albert businesses to adjust to mandatory mask policy

Nov 4, 2020 | 3:39 PM

For at least the next 28 days, masks will be mandatory for people to wear when entering an indoor public place in Prince Albert, as well as Regina and Saskatoon.

Prince Albert and District Chamber of Commerce CEO Elise Hildebrandt is confident all Prince Albert businesses are already prepared.

“We now know what we need to do. It’s not a surprise anymore,” Hildebrandt said. “It’s very different this time than when it first came around in March. Everybody’s got hand sanitizer, Lysol wipes, masks, everything that we need. Sometimes that comes in a shorter supply, but we all have the access and we know who to connect within our community to get it.”

We have been dealing with the pandemic since March, but this is the first uniform mandatory mask policy in Prince Albert.

As far as enforcement goes, Prince Albert businesses will follow along with the provincial government’s lead. In its statement on Tuesday, the Saskatchewan Health Authority said it is not enforcing the policy at the moment, and are educating everybody to wear masks while in a public place or business indoors. Enforcement may be a solution down the road if this is not adhered to.

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“We as the chamber, we will not be the police on it,” Hildebrandt said. “We will ask politely to all our residents in our area to follow the guidelines to keep themselves safe and whatever business they enter in safe.”

Hildebrandt said despite all the COVID concerns, she encourages everybody to buy locally whenever possible and to connect with businesses through virtual means to answer any questions.

“If you can get it locally, please do because we really need it this year. We really need everyone to support everyone,” Hildebrandt said. “All of us have phone numbers you can definitely call. Whether you can connect with that business over Facebook, LinkedIn, however you need to, we really, really need to support each other over the next three to four months — especially at Christmas and beyond.”

SMA supports mandatory mask

While businesses adjust to the new policies, the Saskatchewan Medical Association supports the mandatory mask requirements in Saskatchewan’s three big city centres.

“The SMA has heard from the province’s physicians that a mandatory mask order was needed at this time to flatten the curve of the COVID-19 virus that we are now experiencing,” SMA president Dr. Barb Konstantynowicz said in a statement.

“Our hope is that people who sacrificed so much in the spring to keep COVID numbers as low as possible will now redouble their commitment to abide by public health orders. Like everyone else, physicians want the health system to return safely to normal, but that cannot be achieved without each of us taking steps such as wearing non-medical masks in public, practicing physical distancing and hand hygiene, and limiting your social bubble,” Konstantynowicz said.

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Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW