Manitoba mask mandate ending too soon for the unvaccinated, say parents, advocates
Vaccination rates low in urban Indigenous communities
Manitobans are now free to take off their masks in public, but some say the change is coming too soon for people who aren't fully vaccinated.
Pregnant mom Janessa Nayler-Giesbrecht is on edge, as she waits for the first signs of labour.
"The mandate is actually lifting on the exact same date that I am due with my second baby," Nayler-Giesbrecht said.
Manitoba's last pandemic-related public health orders expired overnight, meaning masks are no longer required in indoor public spaces across the province, although they are still strongly recommended and some organizations and businesses have chosen to continue to require them.
The easing of mask restrictions puts extra pressure on Nayler-Giesbrecht's family, she said.
"I was trying to get so many errands done in the last couple of weeks, just so I could do it during a time when I knew people would be masked."
Nayler-Giesbrecht also has a three-year-old son, which means neither of her children will be eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine in the near future.
"Moving forward from March 15, we won't be going out and about," said the young mom, who's on maternity leave from her job as a youth pastor. "We've been trying not to be paranoid, but to be appropriately cautious."
Her family has installed a new high-efficiency particulate air filter in their home and will continue to get groceries through curbside pickup. They'll also ask family and friends to mask up before coming to visit their newborn.
Nayler-Giesbrecht said her loved ones don't mind.
"It's a simple thing. You pop it on and it's a little bit of a peace of mind."
Lawyer Zilla Jones is also a mom, with two boys age 10 and 14 who decided on their own to keep wearing masks, both in class and during extracurricular activities.
"They say masks are important and they feel safe with their masks on," Jones said. "This is normal for them, and to take away their normal can be stressful."
Jones said her younger son barely remembers the days when he didn't have to wear a mask to school. Lately, some kids have been taking them off during gym class, and that has the fourth grader feeling anxious.
"One of the friends that was doing that recently had COVID, so he thought that was a bit reckless," Jones said.
In Winnipeg's North End, some advocates say the province is removing the mask mandate too soon.
The Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre offers COVID shots at its vaccine clinic on McGregor Street, and through its mobile clinic bus, which sets up in low-income neighbourhoods like Point Douglas, Daniel McIntyre and Elmwood.
"People living in poverty don't have the same access to vaccines as other people do," executive director Diane Redsky said, with barriers including lack of transportation or time off work.
Redsky's group is working hard to drive up vaccination rates in urban Indigenous communities, especially when it comes to third shots and kids age five to 11.
"In Winnipeg, there are some areas, mainly where a lot of Indigenous people live, where it's as low as 34 per cent for the third dose," she said.
Negative experiences with the health-care system have also led to vaccine hesitancy among Indigenous people, she said.
"So until we can really get people to the point of, you know, getting their third dose, then we'll feel a lot better about being able to loosen up on some of those restrictions," Redsky said.
Ma Mawi is hosting a virtual roundtable tonight to help raise awareness and help more people feel comfortable getting the shots.
Epidemiologist Cynthia Carr recommends keeping masks on in indoor public places, for the time being, to slow the spread of COVID-19.
"We're certainly not out of the woods," said the health policy expert for EPI Research. "We have over 5,000 active cases that we know about in Manitoba right now. It's very much still circulating."
Recent studies suggest wearing high-quality masks, such as KN95s, can bring down the risk of contracting COVID-19 by as much as 70 to 80 per cent, Carr said.
"So certainly, masks have played a very significant role in helping to reduce spread," said Carr.
The risk of catching the virus goes up according to the length of time spent in public settings, such as supermarkets, she said.
"If you're grabbing your items relatively quickly, you're continuing to move. That's not where the risk point really is," Carr said.
"The risk point would be if you're standing in a lineup and you're there for a bit of time. That's where you want to consider putting your mask on."
It's the same kind of situation that keeps new mom Nayler-Giesbrecht from doing her groceries in person. She says the province's decision to lift the mask mandate is out of step with the advice of experts, especially when it comes to young children and people who are vulnerable.
"It seems like a large population to be leaving out while we lift this very simple mandate that could just keep them a little bit safer," Nayler-Giesbrecht said.
"I understand restrictions need to be lifted at certain points. But for me, this is one that does not make a lot of sense."
