June 25, 2021
Edmonton City Council has decided to deactivate the Temporary Mandatory Face Coverings bylaw 19408. The decision means Edmontonians will not be required to wear a face covering or mask in indoor public places as of July 1. Council’s decision approved a bylaw (19783) that amends the previously adopted temporary mask bylaw (19408). The decision puts Edmonton in alignment with Stage 3 of the province’s Open For Summer plan, which begins on July 1.
The temporary mandatory face covering bylaw will remain in place, but will not be effective unless public health conditions deteriorate and Alberta returns to an earlier stage of the relaunch plan, or the Chief Medical Officer of Health issues an order mandating the wearing of masks in Alberta.
The amending bylaw will come into effect at 12:01 a.m. on July 1, 2021. Until then, masks will be required in all indoor public spaces and public vehicles in the City of Edmonton.
“We know that Edmontonians have mixed feelings about the decision, with some eager for all restrictions to be lifted and others concerned that the reopening is happening too soon,“ said City Manager Andre Corbould. “We presented Council with several options for ending the City’s mask bylaw based on best available medical advice. The safety of Edmontonians is always our primary concern and we believe that this amending bylaw provides the right flexibility for responding to changing COVID-19 conditions.”
As part of the province’s Stage 3 reopening plan, it will still be mandatory for masks to be worn by Albertans when in public vehicles like buses, LRT, taxis and ride shares starting on July 1. This may provide some reassurance to those who want to manage their personal risk of transmission.
We acknowledge that some Edmontonians may be concerned about their safety in the coming weeks. We want to remind everyone in the community that voluntary mask wearing is a reasonable step that we should all respect.
