Expanded mask useage, pub curfews draw mixed reviews

The province’s introduction of expanded mandatory mask usage and curfews for taverns and pubs is being met with mixed reactions in Saskatoon.

On Friday, the province announced 59 more communities will be mandated to wear non-medical masks in indoor public places beginning on Monday. Previously, Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert were the only places in the province where a mask was mandatory.

Taverns, pubs and restaurants will also be under the same restrictions as bars and night clubs as of Monday. The new rules will require any licensed establishment in Saskatchewan to stop serving alcohol by 10 p.m. with consumption ending by 11 p.m.

Ryan Scott, a part-owner and general manager of The Fox and Hounds Pub and Brewery in Saskatoon, doesn’t imagine the new restrictions will help curb the spread of COVID-19.

“I don’t believe that it’s going to do anything,” he said. “Because it’s still early enough in the night and maybe people are just getting going, I think (it’s) basically going to encourage people to go home and consume their alcohol in groups.”

White said the restrictions will easily cut into at least 15 per cent of revenues at the pub while reducing a safe way for people to drink and be together.

“We’re social distancing, sanitizing and making sure people are wearing masks to their tables,” Scott said. “I’m not serving a beer that is infected to you, whereas if you’re at someone’s house and a guy has COVID, he goes to his fridge — guaranteed he didn’t sanitize his hands before he gave it to you.”

The ideal situation for Scott is to see the province get tougher on people in the province and introduce rules that can impact change in behaviour. He would like to see enforcement on gathering sizes and mask usage, and even have gathering sizes reduced further similar to restrictions introduced in British Columbia.

“I think this closing early thing is actually going to be detrimental to helping the situation,” Scott said.

Saskatchewan Health Authority’s Chief Medical Health Officer Susan Shaw spoke at the news conference announcing the new restrictions. She wants people to remain as vigilant as ever.

“I worry now more than ever about our collective commitments keeping our health systems from being overwhelmed,” she said, adding that “COVID fatigue” is contributing to a relaxed approach to restrictions that is allowing the spread of COVID-19 to continue.

“When people come to the hospital, they often beg us to do everything you can, and now we are begging in return. Do everything you can,” Shaw said.

The newly elected mayor of Aberdeen is hoping that’s exactly what his community can offer in the fight against COVID-19.

Ryan White won’t be sworn in to his new position until next week, but he will have to wear a mask wherever he goes in town after Aberdeen was one of the communities mandated to wear masks in any indoor space.

“It’s unfortunate that it had to go this far, but anything we can do, obviously being so close to Saskatoon, we’re happy to do it,” he said.

Aberdeen is located roughly 40 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon. Even though the latest census data from Statistics Canada has the town’s population listed at 622 — well short of the 5,000 population benchmark listed by the province to mandate masks indoors — the town’s close proximity to Saskatoon means masks are necessary.

Still, White doesn’t believe the town is being unfairly included, even if the idea of wearing a mask is a challenge for some residents.

“Some people feel it’s sort of an infringement on their rights, but if this is what the experts are recommending, then we’ll follow along and hopefully we can flatten the curve again sooner rather than later,” White said.

“We’re sort of putting our faith in the experts at this point.”