When you’re on transit, keep your mask on at all times.
It’s a simple request, but some people just aren’t getting the message. The reason why masks are so crucial on transit is because riders are in close contact to each other and there is poor ventilation.
So when you’re on a bus or SkyTrain, just keep the mask on. Don’t do what the person in the photo above did and pull down the mask so they can jam some Tim Hortons food into their mouth. Oh, and then spending the rest of the trip sipping a coffee.
Sure, I guess they were hungry, but wait until you get off the SkyTrain in order to eat. Taking off your mask to eat is a terrible idea and puts other people are risk. Yeah, I know, it's a pain but we need sacrifices to get us through the pandemic.
“This drives me nuts,” tweeted the person who took the photo attached to this column. They tweeted at news outlets and TransLink to get them to do more education about this.
Personally, I doubt education will do much. There’s been so many messages about how to wear masks during the past year that at this point anyone not wearing one properly is doing so deliberately.
Transit Police did respond to the tweet with this: “Transit Police are out monitoring, educating and fining those that do not wear masks (& are not exempt), however due to how vast the transit system is, they are deployed strategically based on where data tells us they are most needed. Help identify these areas, text 87-77-77.”
As we see more and more violations out there, cases continue to skyrocket. During the last reporting period, Burnaby set a record with 366 cases in a single week.
This rise means tougher measures are being put into place so maybe try following the rules to prevent that from happening.
A new provincial order will allow WorkSafeBC to close workplaces for 10 days or more when there is confirmed transmission in the workplace and at least three people test positive for COVID-19, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said.
Workplaces, particularly in the Lower Mainland, are one of the most common areas where transmission is occurring, and it spans many sectors, Henry said.
Transmission is occurring both in the workplace itself and during social interactions between workers who bring the virus into the workplace, she said.
In larger workplaces, a closure might be limited to one area or team where transmission has occurred, Henry said. The order will not affect essential services, such as schools, health care, first responders and transportation.
A list of closed businesses and their reopening dates will be posted publicly, Henry said.
The new order reflects a more targeted approach to control and prevent outbreaks in workplaces and will help to avoid sector closures, she said.
- With files from the Victoria Times Colonist
Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44.
