On Monday, the City Council of Edmonton voted to revive the bylaw that makes masks in all indoor public places mandatory.
The vote was prompted by the rise in the number of individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the province of Alberta. A total of 3,056 new COVID-19 cases were recorded since Friday.
The bylaw is slated to take effect next Friday, September 3, and will remain in force until a significant decline in the number of persons infected with COVID-19 in the city will be seen.
Starting next Friday, masks will be required in all indoor public places, mainly in transit stations, restaurants, recreation venues, entertainment centres, retail stores, as well as taxis and other vehicles for hire, LRT vehicles, and buses.
The bylaw also puts a fine of $100 for violators who will be caught not wearing the required face coverings.
Additionally, the bylaw does exempt a few individuals from wearing face coverings. These include kids under two years old, persons who cannot put on or remove a mask without assistance, and people who are unable to wear a face mask because of protected reasons under the Alberta Human Rights Act or due to mental or physical issues.
Moreover, people who provide assistance or care to a disabled person are also covered in the list of exempted individuals.
This bylaw mandating masks was first put in force on August 1, 2020, but was subsequently discontinued when the province of Alberta rolled out its COVID-19 reopening plan.
