Newmarket resident Amanda Lynch-Palombo said her world changed last summer when doctors diagnosed her with a rare disease.
She said she was forced to go to the hospital after experiencing severe joint pain and coughing up blood. She was later diagnosed with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), severely compromising her immune system, rendering the COVID-19 vaccine ineffective for her.
The condition has kept her confined and unable to go out into public during the pandemic. But as most of the COVID-19 mandates lift in the province this month, she said she does not feel the government is protecting her.
“I’m a little nervous because now I feel like I have to be more cautious,” she said. “It’s kind of like a slap in our face.”
Newmarket residents had mixed reactions to the province's announcement that mask mandates would end beginning March 21, after capacity limits and COVID-19 public vaccination mandates had already been lifted.
York Region medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore said masking eventually has to be a choice “based on an individual’s risk assessment.”
But the risk remains high for those like Lynch-Palombo. She said she understands things have to go back to normal eventually, though she would have liked restrictions to remain in place a little longer.
She added she understands why some individuals are ready to become less cautious when it comes to masking. She said it takes having a vulnerable loved one, or being vulnerable yourself, to understand.
“I was kind of one of those people before,” she said. “Then I got sick, so now I actually see what it’s like to be on the other side.”
Another Newmarket resident, Ashley Bernier, said her family has also had to keep in a bubble due to the conditions of one of her sons, Hartley. She said he was born with intestinal failure, leaving him vulnerable to COVID-19 and dealing daily with all kinds of medications and health measures.
“We don’t leave the house, other than Sick Kids visits or walks to get fresh air,” she said.
But she said the family is getting challenged as her husband, a teacher, may have to go back to classes in person after running out of time for an extended leave of absence.
She said she would have preferred a few more weeks after capacity limits ended before other restrictions started to lift.
“It seems like maybe people haven’t learned a lot of lessons during the pandemic,” Bernier said. “People are saying they’re tired of masks, tired of social distancing. We kind of feel we don’t have the luxury of being tired.”
Both said they hope others will be understanding of those who will wear continue to wear masks after March 21.
“It’s not that people are living in fear or that it’s something irrational,” Bernier said, “it is a very real danger to a lot of people.”
Lynch-Palombo said she hopes she can get a COVID-19 vaccine for the immunocompromised soon, though said that it is not yet available in the province and will be in limited supply.
She said she hopes the public can have compassion for those in her situation.
“We’re not trying to tell you not to do what you want to do,” she said. “We’re just trying to protect ourselves because we want to be able to live."
