In the letter, Kasari Govender says the sudden removal of the mask command will have profound implications for vulnerable people in the province. “While many of us are fortunate enough to just go on with our lives, thousands of British Colombians will be left behind because of their age, disability or other protected trait under the BC Human Rights Code,” the letter said. “Some of us are more vulnerable than others to the virus and public health policy must take these disproportionate effects into account.” Govender goes on to say that with the abolition of the mask mandate, many older people and people with disabilities will feel the need to isolate themselves to stay safe from the virus. READ MORE: Removing the mask command leaves immunocompromised people worried about increased risk It also notes that indigenous peoples are overrepresented in high-transmission workplaces and that children under the age of five are not yet eligible for the vaccine. “Removing the mask mandate will do disproportionate harm to those already marginalized, forcing many to retire from daily life activities in an effort to protect their health and reduce their ability to enjoy their human rights to the fullest,” he said. Govender. in the letter. He notes that many people are understandably tired of wearing masks, but it is a relatively small violation of a person’s autonomy. “I also agree that we can never eliminate any risk and that we will need to learn to live with an endemic virus,” the letter said. “But the mandate of the mask is not about eliminating the risk. it is about sharing the burden of risk throughout society instead of shifting it to a marginalized or medically vulnerable minority. “ Govender notes that a balance must be struck in the conflict of human rights. “Given the benefits of the mask mandate for thousands of marginalized people and the minimal impact on those required to wear a mask, the balance at this time favors the continuation of the mask mandate,” the letter said. “As an effective and minimally invasive intervention, the mask’s mandate is justified long after other more intrusive public health measures have been lifted.” “The fact that people dislike wearing masks is not a compelling argument when it is weighed against the rights of others in life, the safety of the individual and equal participation in social and economic life.”
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