EDITORIAL: Respecting mask choices

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The vast majority of Canadians will soon be permitted to go about their lives without having to wear masks.

Alberta dropped their mandate on March 1, British Columbia did it on March 10 and Ontario is set to do it on March 21 and Quebec is expected to lift its soon.

There are some exceptions — with certain cities or venues either opting to bring in their own mask policies or at least debating whether or not to do it. But the blanket mandates are being lifted and society is rapidly moving away from masks.

We think this is a good thing. Both because all indicators show that COVID-19 is on the wane, but also because personal choice is important. We could have done with more of it these past two years.

For all the talk about Florida having been some sort of total free-for-all, many Canadians who travelled south returned to report back that, at certain locations, a large percentage of Floridians chose to keep the masks on.

That’s the thing. Lifting the mandate doesn’t suddenly mean you’re not allowed to wear a mask. It just means it’s no longer against the law to not wear one.

Some Canadians will stop following mask mandates the moment they’re lifted. Others will keep doing it for months to come.

That’s okay. Each to their own.

There has been a lot of talk about making sure people who continue to wear masks aren’t negatively judged or even harassed. We agree. There’s no need to bully people. Let them make their own choices.

That said, there’s also a possibility that people who stop wearing masks will be harassed for their choice. This would also be wrong.

While some businesses may be inclined to introduce their own mask rules, it seems wiser to instead let people figure it out for themselves and offer judgment-free zones.

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Our public health officials have always erred on the side of caution. They would not be lifting mask mandates if they didn’t believe it was fine to do.

Besides, every U.S. state except Hawaii has already lifted their mask mandate and things have been fine. (And Hawaii will lift their one this month.)

Let’s move forward while respecting choice.