Steve Ferley

Special to The Lake Report

Almost 90 per cent of Niagara-on-the-Lake residents are comfortable wearing mandatory protective face masks, according to a survey of readers of The Lake Report.

The poll, conducted online between July 23 and Aug. 2, amassed 290 responses from readers to questions about why and where NOTLers are (or aren’t) wearing protective masks and face coverings. 

Respondents gave us their answers to two statements: “I am comfortable with being legally required to wear mask protection against COVID-19 in public places” and “I believe mask protection against COVID-19 should be a matter of individual choice rather than a legal requirement.”

In total, 88 per cent of readers agree strongly or somewhat agree that they’re comfortable with the mandatory wearing of face coverings. And along those same lines, the second statement shows a relatively low agreement (20 per cent) with the belief that mask wearing should be a personal decision.

So we see that NOTL is leaning significantly more toward mandatory mask wearing than opting for personal choice on the issue.

In line with those findings, 87 per cent of The Lake Report’s readers say they frequently wear a protective mask (and a further 8 per cent do so sometimes). And it’s maybe important to note that within the 5 per cent of “never maskers,” less than 1 percent claim that this is due to a verified medical reason. This may conflict with anecdotal reports about relatively high numbers of non-mask wearers claiming such an exemption.

Respondents’ answers about where they’re wearing masks are in line with what we’re seeing in our daily lives. The survey found 89 per cent of readers always or almost always now wear a mask for grocery shopping and other types of shopping. Usage at LCBO stores and Beer Stores is only slightly lower (77 per cent). One in four readers now wears a mask for business meetings. 

The acceptance of masks is up substantially from a similar Lake Report survey in late April that found only 25 per cent of respondents said they always wear a mask while shopping.

The mask wearing picture for social gatherings is more complex and presumably depends upon the type of social gathering. Among readers replying about social gatherings, just over one in four (27 per cent) frequently wears a mask socially – and as many as 43 per cent are sometimes social mask wearers.

But on the other hand, a further 30 per cent of readers report they never wear a mask for social gatherings. 

Interestingly, despite the “early days” nature of the COVID-19 legislation on restaurant visiting (wearing a mask when entering or leaving), 41 per cent of respondents said they do so always or almost always. Mask usage at pubs and bars is lower, at 24 per cent.       

Hand sanitizing is now part of everyday life.  Almost all NOTLers (97 per cent) said they use hand sanitizers – and three out of every four said they’ve used a lot more of the product over the past few months (with a further 15 per cent saying their usage has increased somewhat). Here, we may be seeing something permanent emerging – the dawning  of the age of the hand sanitizer.

* Prior to retirement, NOTL resident Steve Ferley was president of PMB Print Measurement Bureau, Canada’s leading supplier of print readership research information.