Municipal Face Covering Bylaw renewed by Council

Next 30-day period begins Jan. 27, 2021

On Tuesday, Council voted to renew the Face Covering Bylaw. The Bylaw was first enacted on Oct. 14, 2020 to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the region.

The Bylaw requires residents and visitors in the region to wear a face covering in all indoor public places and public vehicles when active cases of COVID-19 are above 50. These provisions renew every 30 days when there are more than 50 active cases in the region, as reported by Alberta Health Services. If after 30 days the case numbers are below 50, the provisions will be relaxed.

Under the Bylaw, face coverings are also mandatory on public transit, regardless of the number of active cases in the region.

The Next Bylaw Period

The requirement to wear a face covering in all indoor places and public vehicles is dependent on active case numbers of COVID-19, within a 30-day period.

Currently there are 126 active cases of COVID-19 in the region. As such, the next 30-day period of the Bylaw will begin today. In 30 days, case numbers reported by Alberta Health Services will be reviewed once again and the provisions will either be renewed or relaxed.

Requirements for Businesses

Under the Face Covering Bylaw, businesses are required to display a mandated sign at the entrance of their establishment or public vehicle.

Signs are now available in eight languages including English, French, Dene, Cree, Spanish, Tagalog, Hindi and Punjabi.

All signs are readily available for download at rmwb.ca/facecovering.

Province-wide Face Covering Requirement

On December 8, 2020, the Province of Alberta announced a mandatory province-wide face covering requirement which continues to remain in effect. Under this provincial requirement, face coverings are mandatory in all indoor public places, places of worship and indoor workplaces unless an exception applies.

The Municipal Bylaw and the provincial requirement work together but do have some overlap and distinctions. In some cases, the provincial mandate will supersede the Municipal Bylaw. For example, if active cases of COVID-19 in the region fall below 50 after the set 30-day period, but the provincial requirement remains in effect, individuals will still be required to wear a face covering under the provincial requirement.

For more information on the Face Covering Bylaw, visit rmwb.ca/facecovering or contact Pulse at 780-743-7000.

For detailed information on all provincial requirements and public health orders, visit alberta.ca/covid19.