The Windsor Essex County Health Unit will make wearing cloth masks in commercial establishments mandatory sometime next week.
It is developing a policy for all retail stores and businesses.
Medical Officer of Health Dr. Wajid Ahmed said he is putting the policy in place to prepare the community for Stage 2.
"We know that some businesses are already implementing such policies. We'd like to see it applied more broadly and ensuring that they are very clear in terms of the expectation that the public is very clear of the expectation, and when they are visiting these commercial establishments, the signage, the policy that each of these businesses needs are available. But, it will be up to the individual to bring their own mask before they go into the facility," said Ahmed.
There will be some exceptions for children under the age of two and people with medical conditions.
"There will be people who, for medical reasons, may be unable to wear a mask. All those exceptions will be laid out," said Ahmed. "We are not expecting that if someone can't wear a mask, for whatever reason, to carry a letter from a doctor to say that they can't wear a mask."
The health unit will share more details as they become available.
The health unit reported 19 new cases of COVID-19 Friday. Of the new cases, 17 are linked to farmworkers, and two are related to household contacts of another case. To date, 30 per cent of the community's 1,263 cases are connected to the agri-farm sector.
Despite the high number of cases in the agri-farm sector, the rate of infection in the community remains low. Of the nearly 5,000 people tested through random testing, only eight tests came back positive. Dr. Ahmed said this is a good indication of the current state of the virus in the widespread community.
