The wearing of the mask becomes the new norm in the retail in Quebec

For the moment, the application of the rule rests on the back of the traders. They are the ones who have the burden to ensure that each client carries a cover face, under penalty of the imposition of sanctions in form of fines.

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July 18, 2020 14h07

Updated at 17h04

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The wearing of the mask becomes the new norm in the retail in Quebec

Ugo Giguère

The Canadian Press

MONTREAL — From Saturday, it is no longer possible to go to a public place closed in Quebec without covering the face, a new set of public health aimed at preventing an outbreak of COVID-19 which seems to adhere to a strong majority of customers.

At the shopping mall Place Versailles in Montreal, you could count on the fingers of one hand the customers who rode without a mask on Saturday morning. According to an officer in charge of the security, only one person had expressed opposition in the morning among a crowd of sustained consumers.

Security officers are placed at the various entrances of the complex submit a ticket to customers not wearing a mask. This good allows them to get a free disposable mask to go to the shops.

Met her in the parking lot, Rachel Beaudry was happy to be able to go out shopping with her daughter, but find it a little exaggerated, the obligation to wear the mask.

“I can’t do much of anything, then you’re going to live with,” said one, who preferred not to wear a cover-face before he is forced to.

Simon Landry, he wears the mask voluntarily for a few weeks “out of respect for the other”. In his opinion, we should do everything we can to avoid a second wave of the epidemic.

Benedicta Bonita has adopted the use of the mask from the very beginning of the health crisis every time she goes out shopping.

“When it started, we saw people in China and everywhere wear masks, so I was doing it to protect me because we was not too sure if it was in the air or not,” says the mother of a family that hangs out of the cover faces in the car and in his bag to be certain to have on hand.

The three children accompanying Ms. Bonita wore also a mask even if the obligation only applies to 12 years and more. Seeing everyone get into the shops the covered face reassures a little more than we can prevent a new outbreak of contamination.

It’s too late?

Many of the customers interviewed agreed that the measure would probably have been imposed earlier. However, some believe that the resistance would have proved stronger.

This is what believe Patricia and Antonio Pizzi who wear the mask since the beginning of the pandemic. “I think the government should make it mandatory before, it would have been better,” said Mr. Pizzi. In spite of everything, Ms. Pizzi is delighted that this is finally the case.

A point of view shared by Simon Landry. “At least it’s done now! And we especially hope that this will be efficient enough so that there is no second wave, even of a very small second wave”, would he.

Sylvie Bernier, and Richard Gagnon are part of those that fold ill the discretion of the obligation while hoping that the measure will be of short duration.

According to Mr. Gagnon, it is quite possible that people can be set against the obligation to wear the mask, but he believes that it was necessary to get here, and even sooner than later.

“They have waited so long”, he remarked.

In addition, protests were planned in some cities in Quebec, including Saint-Georges, in the Beauce region, to protest against the mandatory wearing of the cover face. Opponents are also given by appointment Sunday outside the offices of the prime minister François Legault in Montreal.

According to the organizer of the mobilization beauce, Chantale Giguère, a few hundred people have answered the call to show their disagreement.

“There’s a lot of small shops here and we fear that our merchants experience this will happen because the people are against the mask here in the Beauce,” she said, adding that the port of the mask should be a personal choice.

“Me, I’m a person hypersensitive so I can’t put this mask on my face. It makes me extremely uncomfortable to see the masked people,” says Ms. Giguère.

Saturday, it was not possible to obtain data on the number of calls that the Sûreté du Québec or the police Department of the City of Montreal had to meet to come to the aid of the traders dealing with customers recalcitrant.

A video has been circulated heavily on social networks in which we see a police action muscular.

The SPVM officers had to use force to evict a client refusing to wear a mask in a branch of the Tim Hortons chain. The incident would have occurred in the borough of Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension.

The retailers make a common front

For the moment, the application of the rule rests on the back of the traders. They are the ones who have the burden to ensure that each client carries a cover face, under penalty of the imposition of sanctions in form of fines.

Saturday morning, thirteen traders ‘ associations, including the canadian Federation of independent business (CFIB), the Association des détaillants en alimentation du Québec and the Conseil québécois du commerce de détail published a joint statement to claim that the responsibility for the application of the safety instructions to be shared.

The traders ask the government to impose fines proportionate with the direct aim of offending consumers rather than the businesses that are already heavily affected financially by the consequences of the COVID-19.

“What we ask is that this responsibility be on the person who commits the error. So, if it is Paul who refuses to put on a mask, it should not be Peter who has to pay,” says the senior policy analyst at CFIB, Gopinath Jeyabalaratnam, indicating that the fine merchants up to$6000.

Many owners of businesses fear that the ideology never the twain shall meet, for or against the mask does not lead to disputes between clients. Others say they are simply helpless in the face of the recalcitrant, since their employees are not police officers.

Additional Protection

The national Directorate of public health of Quebec said on its web site that some people may be affected by the COVID-19 without knowing it and that the port covers, face can “reduce the risk” of transmission of the coronavirus.

A security code must, however, be respected to protect themselves and others. The mask should be clean and well adjusted. It is also necessary to wash hands before and after handling the mask.

Public health also insists on the fact that the port of the mask “does not replace the washing of hands; the detachment physics of two metres;(or) the isolation at home if you are sick”.

Le Soleil