Masks mandatory on Winnipeg Transit buses, in city buildings starting Saturday
Rule-breakers could face $100 fine for going maskless on the bus, city says
Face masks will be mandatory on Winnipeg Transit buses starting Saturday, the city announced Friday.
Masks will also be required for people using Winnipeg Transit Plus or going into any city-run facilities, including city hall, recreation and leisure facilities, libraries and administrative buildings.
"I've been increasingly carrying a mask in my pocket, and it's not my favourite thing to wear, I have to be honest. But it's a small thing to do to try to protect the health and well being of our citizens," said Mayor Brian Bowman at news conference Friday afternoon.
The announcement comes as COVID-19 numbers continue to rise in Manitoba. But the mayor said the move also bears in mind the safety of students who use Transit to get to and from school, as there was no plan for student Transit riders detailed in Manitoba's back-to-school plan.
The province also had no plans to mandate masks on Winnipeg Transit at this time, said Bowman, citing a discussion he had with health officials this week.
People not wearing masks while taking the bus could face a $100 fine for not following the new rules, although the city's primary focus will be on educating people, not punishing them, said Jason Shaw, manager of the city's emergency operations centre, who also spoke at Friday's news conference.
The program will work similarly to parks after they reopened earlier this year, he added.
"For the most part, we had almost 100 per cent compliance," said Shaw. "With education and information, the goal is to continue with that trend."
In other cities that have implemented mask mandates, education was the best way to reduce stigma about masks and the people who wear them, and to help people understand why wearing a mask makes people safer, he said.
City employees will tell people who come into those spaces without masks that they are required to wear one, but people will not be denied service for refusing to wear one, Shaw says. The city also noted there are reasons some people may not be able to wear masks, and asked people not to judge those not wearing one.
"We don't want to see shaming of folks who are not wearing masks. There are unique needs that result in someone not wearing a mask," said Bowman.
Some of those reasons could include medical exemptions, such as people with breathing or cognitive difficulties or a disability that prevents them from safely wearing a mask, or people who need help from another person just to put on a mask properly, as per Manitoba's guidelines in the Prairie Mountain Health Region.
WATCH | People in Winnipeg say what they think of wearing masks on the bus:
Coun. Markus Chambers (St. Norbert - Seine River ward) hopes public education will help people come to a consensus that masks make everyone safer from the spread of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, and compliance won't be an issue.
"We have to look at the public interest, and that's what we're elected to do. So if we're mandating it, it's for a very valid reason," he said.
If widespread non-compliance becomes an issue, however, the city may bring in enforcement measures, the city says, though it does not specify what that could look like.
Chambers also wonders who will enforce the mask policy on Transit buses.
Shaw says drivers will not be the ones enforcing the mandate.
The city had previously asked bus riders to wear masks while on board, but didn't make it mandatory until now.
A petition demanding the city mandate masks on its buses garnered more than 3,000 signatures since launching Monday.
And on Friday morning, a council seminar on non-medical mask use fuelled speculation the new policy was on the way.
City administration is asking for council approval of an over-expenditure of $325,000 to buy masks to give out to people who don't have their own.
That request is in a report that will be considered at an emergency council meeting on Monday. The request also includes costs to run a public awareness campaign.
Single-use, disposable face masks will be available for a limited time at public, city-run sites where masks are required, the city says.
A limited number of masks are already available for transit riders at Winnipeg Transit kiosks and city libraries during regular hours. Masks are also available at some city-run facilities where they will be required starting Saturday.
More masks could be made available if the requested over-expenditure is approved.
If council approves the extra expenses, the province will be asked for funding, since buying masks "is related to a public health and safety concern," Shaw said.
The city plans to hand out masks for roughly two weeks or until supplies run out.
The public service is asking specifically that the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service be allowed the over-expenditure. It will include up to $75,000 for the public awareness campaign and to buy masks for city employees, and up to $250,000 to buy masks for people using city facilities, including Winnipeg Transit.
"We're asking Winnipeggers visiting our facilities and using public transit to do their part and wear a face mask to protect our most vulnerable residents," said Shaw.
The new rules are within the chief administrative officer's existing authority, as well as that of the director of Winnipeg Transit, he said.
Transit union doesn't want all drivers to wear masks
Friday's announcement was welcome news to Winnipeg Transit drivers, said Romeo Ignacio, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1505.
The union supported the recommendation earlier this year, but "now that it's mandated, it's actually better because we can expect more people to wear masks," said Ignacio.
Many operators were given masks to wear months ago, he said, so implementing the mandate for drivers shouldn't be an issue.
But the union wants exemptions for drivers who have issues with the masks, Ignacio said. Some drivers who wear glasses or sunglasses behind the wheel have challenges with their lenses fogging up from breathing while wearing city-issued masks, creating a safety hazard, he said.
"We're asking for some exceptions about wearing masks if you're an operator," he said
The shield that protects drivers on the bus also acts as a COVID-19 shield, which is why bus drivers were not given N95 masks from government, he added.
A spokesperson for the city said they are aware of the drivers' concerns and will work with the union to address them in the coming days.
"In the meantime, should a bus operator have a concern about their ability to perform their job safely and they raise it with their immediate supervisor, we will temporarily exempt them from wearing a face mask until a longer-term solution can be determined," city communications manager David Driedger said in an email to CBC News.
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With files from Sean Kavanagh and Sam Samson