The City of Brampton mandatory mask by-law comes into effect July 12, Mayor Patrick Brown announced in his weekly COVID-19 press conference. Mayor Brown also announced that the city will be distributing 1,000,000 non-medical masks in the next couple of weeks. Each Brampton household will receive three masks in the mail.
Exceptions apply to those with health restrictions and for children younger than the age of 2. All facilities and businesses are required to have a policy that ensures non-medical masks or face coverings are worn by everyone in enclosed public spaces. Individuals and businesses not adhering to the by-law can be fined a minimum of $500 and a maximum of $100,000 per offence.
After requesting the provincial government to make masks mandatory in public indoor spaces, mayors across the GTHA were turned down as the health ministry deemed it unnecessary since local medical officers have the authority to do so. The by-law was unanimously agreed on by the Brampton City Council last week.
Other public health officials including Peel’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Lawrence Loh, advocate that contracting COVID-19 can be avoided by wearing a fabric mask or face covering in situations where physical distancing is not possible. In a press conference this morning, mayor Patrick Brown stated, “It should not be politicians making these decisions. We need to heed the best medical advice that is based on science and data.”
Critics of mandatory face coverings argue that there is no conclusive data that can be referenced which shows the effectiveness of non-medical masks.
