Peel Region to make masks mandatory in indoor spaces: mayor's office

Citynews.ca
June 30, 2020

The mayor of Brampton will announce on Tuesday that masks will be mandatory in indoor spaces across Peel Region starting next week, his office confirmed to CityNews.

Patrick Brown’s office said the masks will be mandated as of Monday, July 6.

This comes one day after the Ontario government said a provincial masking policy wasn’t necessary despite an appeal from most GTHA mayors.

Mayor John Tory will also be making an announcement on masks with Dr. de Villa, Board of Health chair Joe Cressy and Deputy Mayor Michael Thompson on Tuesday morning. The specific details of that announcement have not yet been released but Tory told Breakfast Television “the announcement will be in a manner consistent with others in the region.”

“To some this may be a hassle, but what we’re putting forward, based on health, is to keep us on the right path,” Tory continued.

Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti has been spearheading the campaign to make masks mandatory in Ontario.

He was joined by Tory, Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti and Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua in a request to make face coverings mandatory indoors, provincially.

In a statement on Monday, Ministry of Health spokesperson Alexandra Hilkene said local medical officers of health have the authority to institute the same policy.

“Doing so at a local level would ensure responsiveness to community needs without applying the same policy to regions with little to no COVID,” she said.

As well, when asked last week about making masks mandatory across the province, Premier Doug Ford said it would be too hard to enforce, especially in areas in the north that have not had any confirmed cases of COVID-19.

However, the province still continues to urge people to wear masks if possible and continue to practice physical distancing.