KITCHENER -- Brantford council has decided to extend its mandatory face covering by-law, which went into effect on July 17.

Under the extension, the by-law will stay in place through November, with another review scheduled to be done then.

The by-law makes wearing a face covering mandatory in enclosed, public indoor spaces in the city, including on its public transit.

“I think we’re looking at a challenging fall and winter, which means we need to use every tool in our arsenal until the COVID-19 pandemic is behind us”, said Mayor Kevin Davis during a virtual council review on Tuesday night.

“I would hate to see us in a situation where we need to lock down again, so it’s important we practice every preventative measure at our disposal to protect each other and keep each other safe.”

Council decided to review the by-law on a bi-monthly basis.

Brant County's cases have been on the rise in recent weeks, with 16 cases reported last week.

There have been 176 confirmed cases in the county, including 161 resolved and five deaths. That leaves 10 active, non-hospitalized cases in the area.