KITCHENER -- The City of Brantford is the latest municipality to consider a mandatory mask bylaw.
The city says council will review a report with a draft bylaw that would require face coverings in indoor public spaces and on public transit.
The draft bylaw says children under the age of two will be exempt from the bylaw, along with people who can't put on a mask without assistance or have a medical condition or disability that inhibits their ability to wear a mask. Business employees won't need to wear a mask if they are behind a physical barrier or if they’re separate from the general public.
The report recommends anyone not wearing a mask will need to identify themselves as exempt from the bylaw.
Council will debate the bylaw at a special council meeting on July 14. Delegates can register to speak on Brantford's website.
Brantford's Emergency Operations Centre Commander Brian Hutchings said COVID-19 remains a serious threat.
“As we move towards Stage 3 and the reopening of social spaces and permitting larger gatherings, it becomes more challenging to control the spread," he said in a news release.
Waterloo Regional Council voted unanimously in favour of mandatory masks on Monday. Those bylaws come into effect on Monday.
Toronto's mandatory masking policy started on Tuesday.
Last month, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph issued a public health order making masks mandatory in businesses.
