What you need to know about Brampton’s new mandatory mask bylaw

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Published July 8, 2020 at 3:08 pm

At a July 8 conference, Mayor Parick Brown discussed additional ways to cope with the ongoing COVID-19 and provided details on the new mandatory mask bylaw in the City of Brampton.  

At a July 8 conference, Mayor Parick Brown discussed additional ways to cope with the ongoing COVID-19 and provided details on the new mandatory mask bylaw in the City of Brampton.  

According to Brown, the new temporary bylaw enforcing the public to wear non-medical masks or face covers in all indoor public spaces in Brampton will officially begin this Friday, July 10. 

“This temporary bylaw will require public establishments and businesses to ensure that masks or face coverings are worn in indoor public spaces,” said Brown.

According to Brown, masks and face coverings will be required at businesses that primarily sell food including restaurants, supermarkets, grocery stores, bakeries and convenience stores, as well as churches and most other places of worship with the exception of religious ceremonies.

Additionally, they will be required at shopping malls or similar structures that contain multiple places of business, businesses providing personal care services and common areas of hotels, motels and other short-term accommodations.

They will also be required at libraries, museums galleries, banquet halls, convention centres, arena stadiums, concert venues, theatres, cinemas, casinos, areas utilized for open houses, taxis, Ubers and public spaces in municipal buildings.

“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,” explained Brown.

Individuals and businesses not adhering to this 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 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.” 

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