If they aren’t already, Hamilton residents should prepare to mask up during the pandemic.
The city’s board of health has passed a bylaw making face coverings mandatory in public indoor spaces to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“Minimizing risk is just the right thing to do for everyone,” Mayor Fred Eisenberger said before a 13-2 vote in favour of the bylaw Friday.
The regulation applies to commercial areas, retail spaces, places of worship, community services and public transit.
The bylaw comes into force July 20. Staff expect to review it and report back to council every three months.
Children under the age of two, people with underlying health conditions that prevent them from wearing masks and those who can’t don them without help are among the exemptions.
The pandemic has stabilized in Hamilton, but the risk of the virus spreading remains, especially as the economy opens up, Dr. Elizabeth Richardson, the city’s medical officer of health, told councillors.
“So when we ease up those restrictions ... we are very much needing to continue to rely on public heath measures,” Richardson said, noting handwashing and physical distancing are key measures.
Masks should be part of that suite of methods to help prevent spread of the virus, she said. “My mask protects you. Your mask protects me.”
Hamilton’s bylaw follows efforts by other municipalities — including Waterloo, Guelph, Toronto, Mississauga, Windsor, Kingston, London and Sudbury — to make masks mandatory in the absence of overarching provincial legislation.
Hamilton’s bylaw still requires a formal final nod by council July 17, but a strong majority backed it Friday.
“At the end of the day, we’re protecting the health and safety of our residents,” Coun. Brad Clark said, noting people who don’t show symptoms can infect others who may fall ill.
Coun. Brenda Johnson said the bylaw will take pressure off retail workers who can face belligerent customers. “So maybe the new signs will say, ‘No shirts, no shoes, no masks, then no service.’”
Sound public health is also “good for the economy,” said Coun. Maureen Wilson, pointing to how some U.S. states have been forced to revert to lockdown measures after relaxing restrictions too quickly.
Coun. John-Paul Danko agreed, noting in addition to the “very real health consequence,” the economic fallout of a second wave would be an “absolute disaster.”
But Coun. Esther Pauls, who voted against the bylaw, described mandatory masking as too much for residents who have followed public health’s advice so far.
“I always thought education is better,” she said, noting about half of the emails from constituents oppose the bylaw.
Coun. Lloyd Ferguson, who also voted against the bylaw, asked whether Richardson’s recommendation had been “influenced by politics,” saying “it was OK to not wear a mask at the peak of this pandemic.”
Ferguson added officials are “scaring the daylights” out of residents. “Leaders are supposed to spread hope, not fear.”
Richardson responded that politics had nothing to do with her take on masks, but growing scientific evidence that shows face coverings help prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Eisenberger dismissed a series of letters on Friday’s agenda that suggested the bylaw infringed on civil liberties, noting the same failed argument was made for seatbelts and airport security.
“So I think we’re on the right path here. Sure, there’s always going to be detractors.”
If they aren’t already, Hamilton residents should prepare to mask up during the pandemic.
The city’s board of health has passed a bylaw making face coverings mandatory in public indoor spaces to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“Minimizing risk is just the right thing to do for everyone,” Mayor Fred Eisenberger said before a 13-2 vote in favour of the bylaw Friday.
The regulation applies to commercial areas, retail spaces, places of worship, community services and public transit.
The bylaw comes into force July 20. Staff expect to review it and report back to council every three months.
Children under the age of two, people with underlying health conditions that prevent them from wearing masks and those who can’t don them without help are among the exemptions.
The pandemic has stabilized in Hamilton, but the risk of the virus spreading remains, especially as the economy opens up, Dr. Elizabeth Richardson, the city’s medical officer of health, told councillors.
“So when we ease up those restrictions ... we are very much needing to continue to rely on public heath measures,” Richardson said, noting handwashing and physical distancing are key measures.
Masks should be part of that suite of methods to help prevent spread of the virus, she said. “My mask protects you. Your mask protects me.”
Hamilton’s bylaw follows efforts by other municipalities — including Waterloo, Guelph, Toronto, Mississauga, Windsor, Kingston, London and Sudbury — to make masks mandatory in the absence of overarching provincial legislation.
Hamilton’s bylaw still requires a formal final nod by council July 17, but a strong majority backed it Friday.
“At the end of the day, we’re protecting the health and safety of our residents,” Coun. Brad Clark said, noting people who don’t show symptoms can infect others who may fall ill.
Coun. Brenda Johnson said the bylaw will take pressure off retail workers who can face belligerent customers. “So maybe the new signs will say, ‘No shirts, no shoes, no masks, then no service.’”
Sound public health is also “good for the economy,” said Coun. Maureen Wilson, pointing to how some U.S. states have been forced to revert to lockdown measures after relaxing restrictions too quickly.
Coun. John-Paul Danko agreed, noting in addition to the “very real health consequence,” the economic fallout of a second wave would be an “absolute disaster.”
But Coun. Esther Pauls, who voted against the bylaw, described mandatory masking as too much for residents who have followed public health’s advice so far.
“I always thought education is better,” she said, noting about half of the emails from constituents oppose the bylaw.
Coun. Lloyd Ferguson, who also voted against the bylaw, asked whether Richardson’s recommendation had been “influenced by politics,” saying “it was OK to not wear a mask at the peak of this pandemic.”
Ferguson added officials are “scaring the daylights” out of residents. “Leaders are supposed to spread hope, not fear.”
Richardson responded that politics had nothing to do with her take on masks, but growing scientific evidence that shows face coverings help prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Eisenberger dismissed a series of letters on Friday’s agenda that suggested the bylaw infringed on civil liberties, noting the same failed argument was made for seatbelts and airport security.
“So I think we’re on the right path here. Sure, there’s always going to be detractors.”
If they aren’t already, Hamilton residents should prepare to mask up during the pandemic.
The city’s board of health has passed a bylaw making face coverings mandatory in public indoor spaces to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“Minimizing risk is just the right thing to do for everyone,” Mayor Fred Eisenberger said before a 13-2 vote in favour of the bylaw Friday.
The regulation applies to commercial areas, retail spaces, places of worship, community services and public transit.
The bylaw comes into force July 20. Staff expect to review it and report back to council every three months.
Children under the age of two, people with underlying health conditions that prevent them from wearing masks and those who can’t don them without help are among the exemptions.
The pandemic has stabilized in Hamilton, but the risk of the virus spreading remains, especially as the economy opens up, Dr. Elizabeth Richardson, the city’s medical officer of health, told councillors.
“So when we ease up those restrictions ... we are very much needing to continue to rely on public heath measures,” Richardson said, noting handwashing and physical distancing are key measures.
Masks should be part of that suite of methods to help prevent spread of the virus, she said. “My mask protects you. Your mask protects me.”
Hamilton’s bylaw follows efforts by other municipalities — including Waterloo, Guelph, Toronto, Mississauga, Windsor, Kingston, London and Sudbury — to make masks mandatory in the absence of overarching provincial legislation.
Hamilton’s bylaw still requires a formal final nod by council July 17, but a strong majority backed it Friday.
“At the end of the day, we’re protecting the health and safety of our residents,” Coun. Brad Clark said, noting people who don’t show symptoms can infect others who may fall ill.
Coun. Brenda Johnson said the bylaw will take pressure off retail workers who can face belligerent customers. “So maybe the new signs will say, ‘No shirts, no shoes, no masks, then no service.’”
Sound public health is also “good for the economy,” said Coun. Maureen Wilson, pointing to how some U.S. states have been forced to revert to lockdown measures after relaxing restrictions too quickly.
Coun. John-Paul Danko agreed, noting in addition to the “very real health consequence,” the economic fallout of a second wave would be an “absolute disaster.”
But Coun. Esther Pauls, who voted against the bylaw, described mandatory masking as too much for residents who have followed public health’s advice so far.
“I always thought education is better,” she said, noting about half of the emails from constituents oppose the bylaw.
Coun. Lloyd Ferguson, who also voted against the bylaw, asked whether Richardson’s recommendation had been “influenced by politics,” saying “it was OK to not wear a mask at the peak of this pandemic.”
Ferguson added officials are “scaring the daylights” out of residents. “Leaders are supposed to spread hope, not fear.”
Richardson responded that politics had nothing to do with her take on masks, but growing scientific evidence that shows face coverings help prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Eisenberger dismissed a series of letters on Friday’s agenda that suggested the bylaw infringed on civil liberties, noting the same failed argument was made for seatbelts and airport security.
“So I think we’re on the right path here. Sure, there’s always going to be detractors.”