COVID-19: Apartment/condo building residents will need to wear a mask

Halton’s Regional Council has amended their mandatory mask bylaw.

The current mandatory mask bylaw came into effect in July. It made face coverings mandatory in any indoor public spaces.

Now included in the bylaw will be common space areas of apartment and condo buildings. That includes lobbies, elevators, laundry rooms, and mail rooms. Residents will not be required to wear masks in their own housing units.

The Regional Councillor for Ward 1, Colin Best, says this new amendment will be enforced.

With the buildings classifying as private, bylaw officers will be required to arrange with building management a time for when they can enter the buildings.

The COVID-19 numbers across Ontario, including both Halton and Milton, have continued to rise at an increased rate. As of writing, the latest statistics from the Halton Region show a double-digit spike in new cases across all four municipalities.

Councillor Best says that while this amendment has been in discussion for sometime, the recent rise in new cases definitely had an effect on the mandatory mask bylaw being amended.

People just need to stay in their bubbles.

The amendment will take effect on Wednesday, September 23rd. There are exemptions to the bylaw. You can find them in the original bylaw here.

The current mandatory mask bylaw is set to expire on November 30th. Council will review and potentially extend the bylaw at a later meeting.