The problem with hypocrisy is that it shatters truth. If we believe in a principle, but don’t apply it ourselves, that principle is essentially meaningless.
We believe New Zealand can eliminate COVID-19 again. But it could do more to speed up that process with mandatory masks and tighter controls on high-risk venues, including bars, gyms and churches.
A server wears a face mask as he takes an order on an outdoor patio in Montréal in July 2020. Anti-mask sentiment is beginning to surface in Canada as it has in the United States.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
Masks are widely recognized as a partisan issue in the United States, but an ongoing study of public opinion in Canada shows that they are becoming politicized here as well.
A psychoactive substance to make you act in everyone’s best interest?
Sayanh Kaew Mni/EyeEm via Getty Images
Rather than a vaccine to beef up your immune system, a psychoactive substance could boost your cooperative, pro-social behavior – curtailing the selfish actions that spur on coronavirus’s spread.
It is unclear how well masks work.
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Even though cases haven’t dropped off yet, mandatory masks have probably helped to prevent cases continuing to spiral upwards - which is a real risk with this virus.
Our desire to condemn and punish non-cooperative behaviour is strong. But we must also try to understand the complex emotional motivations of those refusing to wear masks.
Just because someone isn’t wearing a mask doesn’t mean they don’t want to. They might have a disability or medical condition you can’t see that makes wearing a mask difficult or distressing.
Victoria recorded 484 new cases on a day when COVID-19 should have been firmly on the decline if the latest lockdown was working. It’s time to contemplate even stricter measures for longer-term gain.
The fines for failing to wear a mask during Melbourne’s lockdown have been criticised as ‘punitive’. But the fact that masks are cheap or free, with huge public health benefits, makes it justifiable.
Masks are a crucial tool for stopping the pandemic – but don’t let them give you a false sense of security.
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Policies meant to improve public health – like mandatory face masks during the coronavirus pandemic – need to take into account how people might adjust other behaviors in response.
Florida cities like Miami have resorted to issuing their own protective rules as coronavirus case numbers climb.
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A close look at Florida’s economy shows just how vulnerable the state and its population are to a pandemic, and some of the reasons state officials hesitate to take action.
People wear face masks as they gather in a city park on Canada Day in Montréal. Incentives could encourage more Canadians, especially younger Canadians, to embrace COVID-19 safety measures.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
Policy-makers and public health officials would be wise to consider a modern, data-driven approach and incentives to encourage people to adhere to safety measures in the COVID-19 era.