At a meeting last week, Mayor Parick Brown talked about ways to further deal with the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, and at that time he also gave the details of the new mandatory mask bylaw for the city.
The new temporary bylaw requires the public to wear non-medical masks or face covers in all indoor public spaces in the City of Brampton. The rule went into effect last Friday, July 10, 2020. It is the bylaw in Brampton, and also Caledon, Mississauga and Toronto among other municipalities.
According to Brampton’s mayor, masks and face coverings will be required at businesses that sell food including restaurants, grocery stores, convenience stores and bakeries. They will also be required in churches and other places of worship, although there are some exceptions for certain religious ceremonies.
Masks will also be required at museums, banquet halls, libraries, stadiums, theatres, movie theatres, galleries, concert halls, casinos, real estate open houses, cabs and rideshare services as well as municipal buildings.
Face coverings will also be required at shopping malls or similar places that contain multiple businesses, places that provide personal care services, the common areas of hotels, motels and other temporary accommodations.
Brown said, “We’re going to be reasonable about where it may not be applicable. If you look at daycares, schools, day camps, school buses; those are all examples where there’s going to be reasonableness because we know young children will not be covered by that bylaw.” He continued, “the bylaw will exempt certain individuals, so if you have a medical reason why you can’t wear a mask, of course, there’s going to be accommodations.”
Individuals and businesses not adhering to the bylaw may be fined a minimum of $500 and a maximum of up to $100,000 for each offence, according to Brown.
“There are serious fines. This is not just a warning or a strong recommendation. This is for mandatory masks,” said Brown.
The decision was based on those made in other municipalities and on the recommendation of the Region of Peel. Dr. Lawrence Loh, Peel’s chief medical officer, said in an announcement he made along with the mayors of Brampton, Mississauga and Caledon mayors, “I am issuing a recommendation, that in the absence of further provincial direction, a time-limited regional bylaw should be enacted to require the use of non-medical masks in public places.”
For more information, see the City of Brampton site relating to the bylaw.
