(rdnewsNOW file photo)

By Troy Gillard

mandatory starting Nov. 30

Mayor encourages mask wearing before bylaw kicks in Monday

Nov 25, 2020 | 12:14 PM

While the city’s new mask wearing bylaw doesn’t take effect until next week, Red Deer’s mayor is encouraging residents to begin wearing them immediately in indoor public places to help limit the spread of COVID-19.

“I urge all Red Deerians to continue to be extremely diligent in ensuring we limit community spread,” Tara Veer said Tuesday in a statement.

Details on the city’s mask wearing bylaw, including exemptions, can be found at reddeer.ca/masks.

“The bylaw will officially come into effect on November 30, 2020; however, The City strongly encourages citizens to wear a face covering in accordance with the bylaw starting today,” Veer stressed.

Veer commented after the province announced more measures aimed at curbing spread of COVID-19 that will be in effect for the next three weeks. They include a ban on indoor social gatherings in people’s homes, businesses remaining open at reduced capacity or by appointment only, places of worship operating at one-third capacity and banquet halls, conference centres and concert venues closing altogether. Children in grades 7 through 12 will move to at-home learning at the end of the month and other students will follow after December 18.

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“While the enhanced restrictions announced today will be challenging, they will ensure consistency in our region and across the province as we municipally work to support citizens, businesses and our community as whole while this pandemic continues to evolve,” Veer said.

Veer reiterated city council’s desire for an Alberta-wide approach to mask wearing after the province stopped short of implementing a province-wide mandate on Tuesday.

“The rising number of cases of COVID-19 in our community and in our province is affecting us all, and a province-wide approach that acknowledges the wide-spread impacts of COVID-19, beyond our City of Red Deer borders, is critical as we work to implement measures that are effective for our citizens, our community and our province,” she said.

The province declared a state of public health emergency on Tuesday while announcing the additional measures. The City of Red Deer has not declared a state of local emergency at this time.

Veer says The City of Red Deer will continue to work with Alberta Health in response to local case numbers, and on anything that may impact City services.

“A mandatory face covering bylaw is just one of the municipal measures being taken to help further prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Red Deer,” she explained. “The City also continues to adapt its many operations to be responsive to the changing circumstances, increase communication with citizens and businesses and to continue to seek information and support through the Province of Alberta.

“It is imperative that we remain strong and remember that every measure we take is not only to protect ourselves, but to protect all Red Deerians and capacity at our local hospital. Over the coming days, we will continue to review the enhanced measures put in place today by the Province and communicate the impacts to our community and any new decisions The City must make.”