Bring back masks to city facilities? London councillors will debate it Tuesday

City councillors will meet Tuesday for a special debate about reintroducing masks at city hall and other municipal facilities.

Several councillors have signed a letter asking for a temporary mask mandate covering everyone over the age of two years old to be in place until May 9. 

"Generally, we believe rules requiring masks to be worn indoors should only be lifted once the incidence of COVID-19 in our community, as measured by cases, hospitalizations and deaths, is at a much lower level," wrote Couns. Jesse Helmer, Stephen Turner and Maureen Cassidy.

"If the incidence of COVID-19 is the same or higher than it is now, we could consider extending the mask bylaw at the May 3 Council meeting."

The province lifted masking requirements Monday, but many public health officers are still recommending wearing them to provide additional protection. 

"Our recommendation continues to be for individuals to consider masking in indoor environments and for organizations to consider the tools in their toolbox to encourage masking relative to the risk that they appreciate in their setting," said Dr. Alex Summers, medical officer of health with the Middlesex-London Health Unit Monday. 

The debate, planned for 2:30 pm Tuesday, will see all councillors present, including Mayor Holder, who will chair the discussion. Already, some set to be at the table are expressing skeptism that reintroducing a mask mandate is necessary. 

"When we first passed that last bylaw back in the summer of 2020, we didn't do that in isolation. It was a move that was made on the strong urging and unequivocal recommendation of the then medical officer of health," said Deputy Mayor Josh Morgan on Monday. 

He points out that at this time, the health unit is not giving a firm directive to organizations.

The Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table released new data last week that highlighted how low-income areas in the province have borne the brunt of COVID-19 in every single wave of the pandemic.

Given these findings, doctors say they are concerned that COVID-19 could continue to harm people in poor and racialized communities in Ontario disproportionately if all three levels of government fail to make investments in social safety nets.

Middlesex-London continues to report double-digit case counts, including 54 cases Monday. A woman in her 80s who was unvaccinated died on Sunday.