City council has voted to end mandatory masking at municipal facilities, but masks will still be required on Saskatoon buses.
The decision comes following a recommendation from the city administration to drop masking requirements in all municipally controlled settings — including buses.
While the province lifted its masking requirements on February 28, the city kept the rules in place.
“This is an alignment with the move locally and globally to move towards matching the risk of COVID at the individual or organizational level rather than through large impact public health orders,” the city’s emergency planning director Pamela Goulden-McLeod said during Monday’s council meeting.
Goulden-McLeod said the city’s local medical health officer supported the recommendation.
Mask use is still encouraged under the plan, with free masks being made available at city facilities and on buses.
However, given recent COVID-19 trends in Saskatchewan, many councilors were uncomfortable with lifting the requirement for Saskatoon Transit.
Ward 2 Coun. Hilary Gough introduced an amendment to preserve mask requirements on Saskatoon buses for the time being.
“I do think that Transit is a unique space,” Gough said.
“I think it’s very logical and reasonable to continue requiring that small measure as we continue through the school year.”
Gough called the coronavirus risk in the community “very uncertain” — alluding to the province’s decision to move to a weekly COVID-19 reporting model.
She also pointed to the numbers of cases, hospitalizations and deaths still being reported.
Ward 3 Coun. David Kirton was among those who did not support Gough’s amendment.
“There hasn’t been a real time when we haven’t listened to the medical health officer from the beginning,” Kirton said.
“Why would we change that now we have heard from the medical health officer who supports the lifting of masks from transit.”
According to Kirton, the proposed change had the support of the Almagated Transit Union, which represents Transit workers. He said the union wanted drivers to be able to go maskless as well.
However, Bus Riders of Saskatoon spokesperson Robert Clipperton — who addressed council during the meeting — said Transit users are generally compliant with the masking rule and want it to remain in place.
“Who’s asking for this? Well, it’s not Transit users,” Clipperton said.
“They feel safer when everyone is masked. Vulnerable populations are overrepresented among riders. More people with chronic health conditions working lower-paid jobs without paid sick days, the elderly, single parents — they all have a greater need to stay as safe as those who drove to work today.” Clipperton said.
Gough’s amendment was supported by councilors Darren Hill, Cynthia Block, Mairin Loewen, Bev Dubois, Zack Jefferies and Mayor Charlie Clark.
Masking requirements will be lifted at city facilities on April 4. The rules around Transit will be examined again later in the month.