A new City by-law requires everyone to wear a face covering or face mask in indoor public spaces.
This is in addition to wearing a face covering or face mask while taking public transit.
Wearing a face covering is an additional measure to take to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and keep each other safe. This by-law will be in effect until October 1, 2020.
Your face covering or face mask should:
- Be easy to breathe through
- Be at least two layers of tightly woven cotton or linen
- Cover the nose, mouth and chin without gaping
- Fit securely to the head with ties or ear loops
- Maintain its shape after washing and drying
Where you have to wear a face covering or face mask:
- Retail stores where goods and services are sold to customers
- Businesses that primarily sell food including supermarkets, grocery stores, bakeries and convenience stores
- Churches, mosques and other places of worship, except during a religious rite or ceremony conducted under the Emergency Orders that is incompatible with the face being covered
- Indoor sports and recreational facilities and private clubs
- Shopping malls or similar structures that contain multiple places of business
- Businesses providing personal care services
- Common areas of hotels and motels and other short term accommodations, such as lobbies, elevators, meeting rooms or other common use facilities. Does not include the common areas of residential apartment buildings and condominiums.
- Libraries, museums, galleries and other similar facilities
- Banquet halls, conventions centres, arenas, stadiums and other event spaces concert venues, theatres, cinemas, casinos and other entertainment establishments
- Premises used for an open house, presentation centre, or other facility for real estate purposes
- Buildings operated by a municipality
- Transit terminals and MiWay buses
- Taxis and private vehicles for hire such as Uber and Lyft
- Other businesses, organizations and places that are permitted to operate under the Emergency Orders.
What businesses need to know:
- You must create a face covering policy to ensure that everyone entering and visiting your business wears a face covering (with some exceptions).
- You must provide copy of your policy for inspection by an Enforcement Officer upon request.
- You must prominently post and display signage advising of the By-law and requirements.
- Business owners and operators are not required to provide face coverings to customers under the by-law.
- Exemptions for people and businesses
Face coverings are not required for:
- Children two years of age or younger
- Children between the ages of three and five who refuse to wear a face covering and cannot be persuaded to do so by their caregiver
- Individuals who have trouble breathing or are otherwise unable to wear a face covering for medical reasons or reason of disability, including those who are unable to remove face coverings without assistance
- Individuals inside a restaurant or bar while consuming food or drink, provided such businesses are permitted to operate in accordance with the Emergency Orders and all other conditions of the Emergency Orders are met
- Individuals who are actively engaged in an athletic, aquatic or fitness activity as permitted by the Emergency Orders
- Employees within an area designated for them and not for public access, or within or behind a physical barrier
- Individuals receiving services involving the face that require the removal of a face covering, provided the services are permitted to operate according to the Emergency Orders and provided a two-metre/six feet distance is maintained from all other people other than the person providing the service
- Police, fire or paramedics while responding to an emergency call
- Individuals while testifying, examining or making submissions at a court, tribunal, arbitration or other quasi-judicial proceeding.
You do not have to provide proof that an exemption applies to you.
These businesses are exempt from this by-law:
- Day cares, schools, post-secondary institutions and other facilities used solely for educational purposes
- Hospitals and portions of buildings used by regulated health professionals
- Buildings or services operated by the Government of Ontario or the Government of Canada
- Portions of community centres, arenas or other buildings that are being used to provide day camps for children or for training amateur or professional athletes
- Portions of community centres, arenas or other buildings operated by a municipality used for the purpose of providing community services or programs for which registration is required
- School transportation vehicles.
- Enforcement of mandatory face coverings
- Under the City’s bylaw, operators of businesses will be responsible for ensuring those entering their premises comply with the by-law requirements.
- Under the by-law, individuals are required to wear a face covering before entering and while inside an indoor public space.
- The City is applying to the Ministry of the Attorney General for set fines of less than $500 for both businesses and individuals.
- The City will be taking the approach of education and awareness regarding the new by-law first, followed by enforcement.
- Enforcement of the by-law will be the responsibility of the City’s By-law Enforcement Officers (non-City property), Corporate Security Officers (City facilities and buildings) and Transit Enforcement Officers (City transit terminals and MiWay buses).
Practise the core four actions
Wearing a face covering is part of the core four actions supported by Peel Public Health to help stop the spread of COVID-19:
- Maintain physical distance
- Wash your hands
- Wear a face covering
- Stay home if ill and get tested
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