Chatham-Kent Council has approved a motion to end its mask mandate, but face coverings will still have to be worn until provincial legislation is lifted.
The municipal bylaw was passed in August 2020, which made it mandatory for protective gear to be worn in all indoor public spaces.
On Monday evening, council voted 13-5 in support of removing the municipal mandate. However, face coverings will remain mandatory in publicly accessible indoor spaces as part of the provincial government's mandate.
Councillor Mark Authier brought the motion forward and said he did so to ensure the municipality wouldn't have to wait once the provincial government removes its mandate for masks.
“I don’t want people thinking because of this, that they can go through Chatham-Kent without a mask," said Authier. "It’s simply for in the future when the provincial government does remove the mandate it is removed here as well.”
Chatham-Kent Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Colby said he believed the bylaw was redundant.
“I’m not sure if there is any significant effect of removing this from a practical view as long as the public does not misunderstand what the intention of removing it is," said Colby. “I don’t see any real reason to have both of them enforced at the same time.”
Colby added that, if it became necessary in the future, he could introduce a health order that would mandate masks in Chatham-Kent once again.The province passed its legislation to make masks and face coverings mandatory for all indoor public spaces on October 3, 2020.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says the province is aiming to lift all remaining measures, including masking requirements and emergency orders, on March 28, 2022.
