Masks to be mandatory in Kenora

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This article was published 27/07/2020 (1515 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Anyone planning to shop or eat in the Kenora area will need to wear a face mask — but not until later this summer.

Ontario’s Northwestern Health Unit announced Tuesday that all businesses and organizations will be required to have a mandatory mask policy in enclosed public spaces starting Aug. 17. The area includes the districts of Kenora and Rainy River.

The announcement comes a day after Manitoba’s chief public health officer, Dr. Brent Roussin, said he may recommend Manitobans wear masks in all indoor places come fall.

The Northwestern Health Unit hasn’t finalized details of its mask mandate yet, but some exemptions are expected, according to Dr. Kit Young-Hoon, the health unit’s medical officer of health. Kids under the age of two and people with disabilities that make it challenging to wear a mask will probably be exempt, as will children under the age of five who refuse to put one on.

Tuesday’s announcement was made three weeks in advance to give organizations time to prepare, Young-Hoon said. It will be up to businesses to enforce their policies, she said.

“It is really about providing strong reminders to individuals, not necessarily refusing service,” said Young-Hoon. “But, it will also depend on the organization.”

She said in addition to wearing a mask, people should continue following public health measures like physical distancing, hand washing, and staying home and getting tested when sick.

The City of Kenora says it is following the health unit’s guidance and scientific studies showing that mask-wearing reduces the transmission of viruses.

“By coming out with this process now, if we do have a second wave… It kind of normalizes that process of wearing a mask,” said Andrew Poirier, the City of Kenora’s deputy mayor.

“The economy is opening up more and more,” Poirier said. “If we wear masks and that decreases risk, that will allow businesses to continue to be open.”

The number of Manitobans and other regional tourists in Kenora has been rebounding, according to Josh Nelson, the Kenora’s tourism and recreation lead.

“The downtown feel, especially on weekends, you’re starting to feel almost like a regular summer,” minus visitors from the United States because the border is closed, said Nelson.

He said he’s not expecting a big decline in tourism because of the mandatory mask policy.

“A lot of tourism, especially in the summertime, revolves around the outdoors,” Nelson said.

Many stores and restaurants in Kenora already require visitors to wear masks indoors, he said.

Masks and face coverings are mandatory at public indoor spaces in Toronto, Ottawa and across Quebec. Nova Scotia announced Friday masks would be mandatory indoors beginning Aug. 1. On Monday, Banff’s town council voted that masks and face coverings would be mandatory indoors starting this Friday, too. Calgary announced people will have to wear masks and face coverings in public places beginning Aug. 1.

Planet Fitness will make wearing masks in their gyms mandatory starting Saturday. They have four locations in Winnipeg.

gabrielle.piche@freepress.mb.ca