Windsor Expanding Mandatory Masks Rules To Include All Indoor Public Places, Churches, Theatres, Apartment Buildings, Others
Wednesday August 12th, 2020, 3:36pm
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The City of Windsor is expanding the Windsor Essex County Health Unit’s mandatory mask order by making it a requirement to wear masks indoors at several other types of facilities including places of business, community centres, places of worship, entertainment venues and common areas of apartment and condo buildings, among others.
Mayor Drew Dilkens announced the new measures on Wednesday afternoon designed to “clarify and standardize the rules regarding masks and face coverings to prevent the spread of COVID-19.”
The city says a mask that covers the nose and mouth will be required in all indoor public spaces in the City of Windsor, effective Wednesday August 19th, 2020, by order of the Mayor, pursuant to section 4(1) of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.
The new mask order says masks will be mandatory at the following places:
- Premises or any portion thereof which are used as a place of business or offering for sale of any goods or services, and includes a mall or similar structure which contains multiple places of business;
- Churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, or other places of worship;
- Community centres including indoor recreation facilities;
- Libraries, art galleries, museums, aquariums, zoos, and other similar facilities;
- Banquet halls, convention centres, arenas, stadiums, and other event spaces;
- Premises used as an open house, presentation centre, or other facility for real estate purposes;
- Common areas of hotels, motels or other short term rentals; such as lobbies, elevators, meetings rooms, or other common use facilities;
- Concert venues, theatres, cinemas, casinos, and other entertainment facilities;
- Public transportation and private transportation services, such as taxis, private limousine services, and ride-sharing services)
- Any common use area within a multi-use dwelling, including lobbies, elevators, laundry rooms, meeting rooms, and corridors.
The city says exceptions will be made for children and those with underlying medical conditions and to comply with the Ontario Human Rights Code.
“As we enter Stage 3, I’m committed to doing everything within my power to make sure that we keep the spread of COVID-19 low in my community,” said Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens. “So we want to make this as simple as possible: if you’re in an indoor public space, wear a mask. By taking this important step, we’ll add consistency and uniformity to the rules to help keep everyone safe.”
Similar to the Health Unit’s order, the city’s mask order requires operators of public places to create policies to “ensure that no member of the public is permitted entry to, or otherwise remains within, any enclosed space within the public place unless the member of the public is wearing a non-medical mask/face covering, in a manner which covers their mouth, nose, and chin.”
The city says if there is any conflict between this order and the Order of the Medical Officer of Health for the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, then the more stringent provisions will apply.
Officials say the order does not apply to outdoor public spaces, and also will not apply at the following:
- Schools, post-secondary institutions, child care facilities, day camp, corrections centres, and jails;
- Hospitals, independent health facilities, and offices of regulated health professionals
- Court facilities and professional offices where clients received purchased services by appointment, including lawyer or accountant offices
- Places within a Public Place which are accessible only by employees of the Public Place.
The full masks order is available here on the city’s website.