I never imagined that I would be entering the U.S. from a foreign country and feel less safe than in the country I left. However, it’s not just a feeling – for me, it’s a reality.
Ontario, with a population of almost 15 million and the fifth largest city in North America, has 50 percent fewer COVID infections per capita than Maine. One can speculate on the reasons, but during my stay, I saw few people in Toronto or elsewhere in Ontario who were not masked. To enter a restaurant in Ontario, you must show proof of vaccination, a picture ID and, in the ones that I visited, a mask when not eating or drinking. Other vaccination restrictions are in play there in regard to employment and travel.
I am heartened by Portland City Councilor Andrew Zarro’s plan to sponsor a proposal for an indoor mask mandate at the council’s meeting. It is unfortunate that we have such difficulties keeping citizens safe in this state, but hopefully this is a first step.
Loren Johnston
Scarborough
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.