The City of Winnipeg is set to make face masks or coverings mandatory in all city-operated facilities and on city vehicles, including Winnipeg Transit.
The face masks will be required as of Saturday, in an attempt to reduce the spread of COVID-19. According to the mayor, as the fall season approaches and children are returning back to school, higher volumes of people are expected on Winnipeg Transit and in the City of Winnipeg facilities. With a higher volume of people, it will be difficult to maintain physical distancing.
The manager of the city’s Emergency Operations Centre stated that the face mask mandate is a “reasonable measure” when used in combination with other precautions such as social distancing and hand washing.
The city staff has been instructed to let people know about the new measure if they are not wearing a mask but no one will be denied service for refusing to cover up.
Transit riders might face a $100 fine for non-compliance and the city stated that it might decide to implement enforcement if non-compliance becomes an issue.
As a way to help the residents get used to the new requirement, the city will be providing face masks that will be distributed to members of the public in city buildings or on buses for the first two weeks for the mandate or until supplies run out.
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Learn how to stay safe by enrolling in a mask fitting test which is a requirement for many workplaces and school admissions or the available masks for sale by visiting our face mask sale page.
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