A Canadian woman has been roundly criticised after she complained of being refused medical treatment because she wouldn't wear a mask in the hospital.
What's more, she filmed the whole incident and put it on her Twitter account.
Letitia Montana filmed herself at the hospital being told by the staff at the St Joseph Hospital in Toronto that she'd have to put on a mask in order to stay there, due to regulations put in place by the local authorities to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Ms Montana had shown up to the medical facility hoping to receive treatment for a suspected broken finger, but security was called and she was eventually told she wouldn't be seen unless she put on a mask, which she completely refused to do.
After the incident, she shared the video she'd filmed to Twitter, writing: "Went into the Emergency Dept. at St Joseph's Hospital in #Toronto for a suspected broken finger.
"I was asked to wear a mask, which I refused to do. As a result, hospital staff asked me to leave and immediately called 3 security guards to escort me out."
It's fair to say that she didn't get the outpouring of sympathy and support that she'd been hoping for.
In the video, staff at the hospital wearing scrubs and masks try to explain the rules to her and asking her to stop filming them.
Ms Montana can be heard to say: "I'm not allowed to video but you're making me wear a mask?"
The rules in question were voted through unanimously by the Toronto City Council and require every person to wear a face covering or a mask in all public spaces.
This decision - which actually comes into force on July 7 - came after consultations with the Medical Officer of Health, who said that it would be best if the city used legislation to protect the health, safety, and well-being of the people of Toronto.
Advert
Regardless, health professionals pretty much all agree that wearing a mask in public spaces that are indoors - and the rest, if you can - is the right way to go to stop the virus spreading.
As for the responses to Ms Montana's video, one person wrote: "Imagine posting this and expecting people to agree with you. Hope your finger gets better on its own."
Another simply said that she needs to 'grow up', tweeting: "If it were anything more serious and you were asked to put on a gown, would you refuse that, too?
"Hospitals want to (always) remain as sterile as possible and to keep potential patients as risk-free as possible. Grow up and wear the damn mask!"
Ms Montana later defended herself against the onslaught of negative comments. In a separate tweet, she said: "How easy it is for some of you to judge! The few times I put a mask on I could hardly breathe especially with the hot summer heat.
"This has lead [sic] me to do research on them & what I learned from the science is that they do compromise your health in more ways than one."
In announcing the new laws, Medical Officer of Health Dr Eileen de Villa explained: "Evidence shows that wearing a mask indoors can help reduce the spread of Covid-19.
"It's a reasonable action to take to save lives. We all have a part to play in protecting our community and fighting Covid-19, and for most of us, that begins with wearing a mask."
Featured Image Credit: TwitterTopics: World News, Weird, Canada